The First Former First Lady to Face the Disgrace of a Special Prosecutor's Summons and Investigation
Kim at the Center of 16 Allegations Including "Stock Price Manipulation"
Special Prosecutor: "Difficult to Complete in a Single Session"
First Lady Kim Gunhee, wife of former President Yoon Sukyeol, is leaving the voting booth after casting her ballot at the Seocho 4-dong 3rd polling station set up at Wonmyeong Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd, the day of the 21st presidential election. Photo by Yonhap News
Kim Keonhee, the wife of former President Yoon Sukyeol and the central figure in 16 allegations including stock price manipulation, will appear before the special prosecutor Min Jungki's team on August 6. It has been 36 days since the special prosecutor's team, launched to investigate the numerous allegations surrounding Kim, began its investigation. Kim has become the first former First Lady to face the disgrace of being summoned and investigated by a special prosecutor.
The special prosecutor's team will summon Kim at 10:00 a.m. on this day as a suspect on charges including bribery, violations of the Capital Markets Act, and violations of the Public Official Election Act. Kim will appear through the first-floor entrance of the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the special prosecutor's office is located, and stand at the photo line, just like other suspects. There will be no courtesy tea time with the special prosecutor's team.
The allegations surrounding Kim amount to 16 in total. The main allegations include: ▲Stock price manipulation involving Deutsche Motors and Sambu Construction ▲Bribery-like sponsorships for Covana Contents exhibitions ▲Receiving luxury bags and diamond necklaces ▲Unfair intervention in contracts related to the relocation of the presidential office and residence ▲State affairs and personnel intervention involving Myung Taegyun and Geonjin Bopsa ▲Improper lobbying for clemency involving Im Sunggeun and Cho Byungno ▲Intervention in the change of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway route and the approval process for Yangpyeong Gongheung District ▲Improper intervention in local and parliamentary elections ▲The so-called 'Butler Gate' involving Kim's family, among others.
The investigation of Kim is expected to be lengthy and unlikely to conclude in a single session. The special prosecutor's team has also stated, "It will be difficult to finish in one day." For this reason, Kim's side has requested that only one allegation be investigated per day, that the investigation conclude before 6:00 p.m., and that rest breaks be guaranteed, citing concerns about Kim's health. However, the special prosecutor's team has said, "We will conduct the investigation according to the law and principles."
The special prosecutor's team is expected to first investigate allegations related to the Myung Taegyun Gate, Deutsche Motors and Sambu Construction, and Geonjin Bopsa. It is reported that prosecutors at the chief prosecutor level, such as Han Moonhyuk, who have been in charge of each allegation, will take turns questioning Kim. On Kim's side, three attorneys?Yoo Junghwa, Chae Myungseong, and Choi Jiwoo?are expected to be present.
The so-called 'Myung Taegyun Gate' refers to allegations that the former presidential couple exerted influence over the nomination process for the June 2022 local and parliamentary by-elections in exchange for receiving free public opinion polling from a political broker named Myung ahead of the 2022 presidential election. The special prosecutor's team has summoned Myung, Yoon Sanghyun (People Power Party lawmaker), and former lawmaker Kim Youngsun for questioning and has also conducted a search and seizure of Lee Junseok, then leader of the People Power Party and now leader of the Reform Party.
Regarding the Deutsche Motors and Sambu Construction stock price manipulation allegations, the special prosecutor's team has summoned Kwon Osu, former chairman of Deutsche Motors, for questioning, and on August 1 indicted Lee Iljun, chairman of Sambu Construction, and Lee Eunggeun, former CEO of Sambu Construction, on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act. This is the first indictment by the special prosecutor's team since the investigation began on July 2.
The so-called 'Geonjin Bopsa Gate' involves allegations that Jeon Seongbae, known as Geonjin Bopsa, received diamond necklaces and luxury bags from the Unification Church as gifts for Kim and delivered them to her, as well as passing on requests regarding the church's pending issues, between April and August 2022. There are also allegations that Jeon received money from political insiders as 'prayer fees' ahead of the 2022 local elections and conveyed requests related to nominations to Kim and other key political figures. In connection with this, the special prosecutor's team has secured the custody of Yoon, former global headquarters chief of the Unification Church, who is suspected of delivering bribes to Kim and attempting to lobby her through Jeon.
After reviewing Kim's statements and other evidence, the special prosecutor's team plans to decide whether to request an arrest warrant. If the special prosecutor's team applies for an arrest warrant for Kim, she will become the first former First Lady to undergo a court's substantive warrant review.
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