The special prosecutor team led by Min Jungki, which is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Gunhee, is focusing on preparing for Kim's pretrial detention hearing (warrant review).
According to the legal community on the 10th, Special Prosecutor Min Jungki and assistant special prosecutors Kim Hyungkeun, Moon Hongjoo, Park Sangjin, and Oh Junghui all reported to the office on this day to prepare for the warrant review. The special prosecutor team reportedly plans to emphasize during the hearing that if Kim is not detained, there is a high likelihood that she and those around her will attempt to destroy evidence.
During the warrant review, the special prosecutor team is expected to present circumstances indicating that Kim has already destroyed key evidence. On April 4, just before the impeachment motion against former President Yoon Sukyeol was accepted, Kim formatted a laptop at the Covana Contents office. After the impeachment, she changed her mobile phone and did not provide the password for the confiscated phone to investigators.
Additionally, former presidential aides Yoo Kyungok and Jung Jiweon, known as "door knob" aides, also wiped their phones before and after the special prosecutor's investigation. The special prosecutor team considers this to be evidence destruction as well. The team is particularly concerned that, given Kim's attitude during her first summons for questioning on the 6th, she is highly likely to continue destroying evidence.
For example, regarding the alleged stock price manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, the special prosecutor team, based on recorded phone calls between Kim and securities firm employees, determined that in 2010, during the "first operation period," Kim entrusted a securities account containing 1.6 billion won to an individual surnamed Lee, who was the main operator. She later received 47 million won as compensation for losses. It was further found that, to dispose of remaining stocks, she entrusted an account worth 2 billion won to Black Pearl Invest, operated by former CEO Lee Jongho, agreeing to give 40% of the profits. The team also believes that around 2012, Kim engaged in transactions under borrowed names to support the stock price. The special prosecutor team calculated that Kim's gains from these activities amounted to 811,443,596 won.
However, during questioning, Kim reportedly explained, "I did not suspect any stock price manipulation was taking place," "I never made an agreement for loss compensation, and the 47 million won was from a different transaction," and "Although I entrusted the account, I ended up losing money."
Regarding the alleged intervention in party nominations, the team found that between June 26, 2021, and March 2, 2022, Kim received results from 36 public opinion polls for publication and 22 for non-publication, worth a total of 274.4 million won, free of charge from Myung Taegyun. In mid-March 2022, Myung visited former President Yoon and his wife, raised the issue, and requested the nomination of former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Youngsun. The special prosecutor team believes that Yoon then ordered a single nomination.
The special prosecutor team specified these points in the arrest warrant for Kim, pointing out that she "undermined the constitutional value of democratic party management." However, Kim reportedly countered during questioning, stating, "I did not consider the poll results sent by Myung to be a product," and "It is unfair to claim that knowing the poll results in advance constituted an economic benefit."
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