[Exclusive] Kim Keonhee Says She "Does Not Know" Both Genuine and Imitation Necklaces at Warrant Hearing

Special Prosecutor Presents Both Genuine and Imitation Necklaces at Warrant Hearing on the 12th
Kim's Side Responds: "Does Not Know"

Yonhap News

It has been confirmed that Kim Keonhee, wife of former President Yoon Seokyeol, responded that she "does not know" in regard to both the genuine Van Cleef necklace and the imitation necklace presented by the special prosecutor during her pretrial detention hearing.

Special Prosecutor Min Jungki presented both the genuine necklace, which Lee Bonggwan, chairman of Seohui Construction, confessed to delivering, and the imitation necklace, which Kim's side claimed was a "2010 Hong Kong purchase," in court. Kim Keonhee denied recognizing either necklace, stating that she could not remember them.

According to legal sources on August 12, the special prosecutor presented the two necklaces to the judge during the detention warrant hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court at 10:10 a.m. One was a genuine Van Cleef & Arpels necklace worth approximately 60 million won, which Chairman Lee of Seohui Construction confessed to handing over, and the other was an imitation necklace that Kim's side explained had been purchased in Hong Kong in 2010 for around 2 million won and was later discovered during a search and seizure.

When the court inquired about her recognition of the two necklaces during the detention warrant review, Kim's side responded that she "does not know" and "does not remember" either necklace.

On this day, the special prosecutor's team reportedly focused on the risk of evidence destruction as the reason for seeking detention, emphasizing that Kim Keonhee denied all charges.

Previously, Deputy Special Prosecutor Oh Jeonghee stated at a regular briefing that "Seohui Construction submitted a confession acknowledging that they provided the necklace worn by Kim Keonhee during the NATO summit," and added, "We obtained and seized the genuine necklace that Seohui Construction had provided and later retrieved."

The special prosecutor suspects that the background for providing the necklace may be related to a request for the appointment of Park Seonggeun, the eldest son-in-law of Chairman Lee and a former prosecutor, as chief secretary of the Prime Minister's Office in June 2022.

Meanwhile, in her final statement, Kim Keonhee reportedly expressed her frustration, saying, "Issues from before my marriage continue to be raised, which is upsetting," and appealed to the judge, "I ask for your fair judgment." The decision regarding her detention is expected as early as tonight. The pretrial detention hearing, which began at around 10:10 a.m., concluded after approximately four hours.