Geomancer Jeon to Be Resummoned for Interrogation on the 25th
Special Prosecutor Raids Businessman’s Residence
in 'Yangpyeong Gongheung District Preferential Treatment' Probe
Seongbae Jeon, a geomancer who was identified as the channel through which various solicitations were conveyed to Geonhee Kim, is entering the West wing of the KT Gwanghwamun Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the Minjungki Special Prosecutor's Office is located, on the 18th.
Seongbae Jeon, a geomancer, did not appear for his first interrogation after being detained, citing health issues. In response, the Special Prosecutor's Team for Geonhee Kim (Special Prosecutor Min Jungki) decided to summon Jeon again on the 25th.
The special prosecutor's team had planned to summon Jeon for questioning at 2 p.m. on the 22nd. Jeon was detained the previous day on charges of aggravated brokerage under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and violations of the Political Funds Act.
Jeon is accused of receiving luxury goods from the Unification Church as gifts for Mrs. Kim and conveying various business and personnel solicitations between April and August 2022.
The Unification Church allegedly requested Jeon's assistance in supporting the Mekong River development project in Cambodia, acquiring YTN, bringing the United Nations Fifth Secretariat to Korea, and securing invitations to the presidential inauguration. Jeon is also suspected of accepting money under the pretext of prayer fees ahead of the June 2022 local elections and relaying requests related to party nominations.
Additionally, the special prosecutor's team indicted Lee Jongho, former CEO of Black Pearl Invest and known as a close aide to Mrs. Kim, while he was in custody.
Lee is accused of receiving approximately 80 million won from Lee Jeongpil, the main orchestrator of the first round of stock price manipulation at Deutsche Motors, over 25 occasions from June 2022 to February 2023, and promising to help him receive a suspended sentence instead of imprisonment in his criminal trial.
Lee is known to have served as the "control tower" in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, a key focus of the special prosecutor's investigation. He also appears in suspicions related to the Sambu Construction stock manipulation case, which is suspected to have Mrs. Kim behind it, as well as lobbying efforts for the acquittal of Lim Seonggeun and Cho Byeongno.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor's team conducted a search and seizure of the residence of businessman Kim Choongsik in connection with allegations of preferential treatment in the Yangpyeong Gongheung District development project.
The core of the Yangpyeong Gongheung District preferential treatment allegations is that ESI&D, the family company of Mrs. Kim's mother, Choi Eunsun, received special favors while developing an apartment project in the area. Kim is known to have been a business partner of Choi and to have had interactions with Mrs. Kim's family.
On the same day, the special prosecutor's team also carried out search and seizure operations at more than ten locations, including Yangpyeong County Office, in connection with suspicions regarding changes to the terminus of the Yangpyeong Expressway and other related cases.
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