"Entrusted Account to Black Pearl and Promised Returns"
Evidence Suggests Awareness of Stock Price Manipulation
The prosecution has reportedly obtained an audio recording in which Kim Keonhee, the wife of former President Yoon Sukyeol, appears to be aware of stock price manipulation related to Deutsche Motors. This is said to be the first time that direct evidence suggesting that Kim was aware of the stock manipulation has been secured.
The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, which reopened the investigation in April, recently conducted a search and seizure at Mirae Asset Securities and reportedly secured hundreds of audio recordings of phone calls between Kim and the employee in charge of her account over a period of about three years.
It has been confirmed that these files include Kim's voice, in which she says, in effect, that she entrusted her account to Black Pearl Invest and promised a 40% return. The recordings were made between October 2010 and December 2012, which coincides with the so-called second round of stock price manipulation.
The recordings are also said to include Kim stating that "they are managing the stock price," conversations between the two based on the premise that someone is manipulating the stock price, and Kim expressing that the distribution of profits was excessive.
The prosecution is also reported to have obtained a recording of a phone call in which Kim and the employee review a specific document together. The contents of this document match the withdrawal history and balances of stock accounts contained in the "Kim Keonhee X-File" found on a computer at the Black Pearl Invest office. Black Pearl Invest has been identified as the control tower during the second round of operations. The company was headed by Lee Jongho, who was convicted by the Supreme Court for involvement in price manipulation.
Meanwhile, on June 16, the prosecution reportedly sent a summons to Kim, requesting that she appear for questioning by next week at the latest. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's special investigation team on Myung Taegyun's allegations is also demanding her appearance.
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