"Upon Return, Both Butler Gate and Covana Cases to Be Investigated"
Dozens of Residences and Offices Linked to Geonjin Monk Raided
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Officials Summoned Over 'Yangpyeong Expressway Favoritism'
The special prosecutor team led by Min Jungki, which is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee, announced on July 15 that it has requested an arrest warrant for Kim Yesung, who has been identified as Kim's butler.
At a regular briefing that day, Special Prosecutor Moon Hongju stated, "Regarding the so-called 'Butler Gate' case, we have determined that Kim, who left for Vietnam in April, and his wife have not contacted the special prosecutor's office in any way and have no intention of returning to Korea or appearing voluntarily."
Moon added, "Given the circumstances, invalidating Kim's passport is unavoidable, and if the arrest warrant is issued, we will immediately proceed with the passport invalidation. Upon Kim's return, we plan to swiftly investigate not only the Butler Gate case but also the alleged bribery involving Covana Contents to uncover the facts of each case."
Kim, who was referred to as the First Lady's butler, was involved in establishing the rental car company IMS in 2023. Despite IMS being an insolvent company, it reportedly secured investments totaling over 18 billion won from Kakao Mobility and others, allegedly leveraging his connection to the First Lady. The investigation team is also looking into whether part of the investment was funneled to Kim Keonhee.
Previously, the special prosecutor notified Kim Beomsoo, founder of Kakao; Cho Hyunsang, vice chairman of HS Hyosung; Yoon Changho, former CEO of Korea Securities Finance Corporation; and Kim Ikrae, former chairman of Daou Kiwoom Group, to appear for questioning on July 17 regarding their large investments in IMS Mobility. Moon commented, "We suspect there must have been special reasons for such large corporations to make such significant investments."
Regarding the possibility of summoning additional business figures beyond the four, Moon said, "If further investigation is necessary, I understand that the other companies mentioned will also be investigated."
The special prosecutor team has also launched a compulsory investigation into the so-called 'Geonjin Monk Gate.' On the morning of July 15, the team conducted a search and seizure at the Geonjin Monk's temple in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The investigation is based on suspicions of receiving illicit commissions under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
Moon stated, "The Special Prosecutor Act includes as targets of investigation the alleged involvement of Geonjin Monk and others in state affairs, personnel appointments, government manipulation, and election interference. Today, we are conducting search and seizure operations at around ten residences or offices of Geonjin Monk and about ten others in connection with this case." The search targets included Oh Eulsub, former chairman of the Network Headquarters, and Park Changwook, a member of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Council.
Moon also revealed that following a search and seizure conducted the previous day regarding the alleged preferential treatment in the Yangpyeong Expressway case, five individuals?including officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and executives from a service provider?are currently being questioned.
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