[How Far Has the Special Prosecution Come]①After Three Months, Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor Indicts Key Figures, but Major Challenges Remain

At Least 11 Allegations Remain Despite Kim Keon-hee’s Indictment
Special Prosecution Team Unsettled as All Dispatched Prosecutors Request to Return
Need for Discussion on Future Indictment Maintenance Plans

The special prosecution team led by Min Joong-ki, which is investigating various allegations surrounding Kim Keon-hee, is showing tangible results as it secures the custody of Kim and other key figures. However, as the team continues to investigate newly uncovered matters during the process of clarifying the allegations, there is growing attention on whether it will be possible to conclude the case within the limited investigation period.

In this situation, internal discord has surfaced, with dispatched prosecutors expressing their intention to return to their original posts, raising concerns that this may affect the future of the investigation.

Yoon Suk-yeol, former president, wife Kim Keon-hee is attending the pre-arrest detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 12th. The special prosecution team led by Min Joong-ki filed a detention warrant with the court on the 7th against Kim for violations of the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (accepting bribes). August 12, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Even with the indictment of Kim Keon-hee, the central figure, 11 allegations remain under investigation

The special prosecution team had a smooth start. From the early stages, they secured Kim Keon-hee’s custody on charges such as the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, and achieved major results by consecutively arresting high-profile figures such as Han Hak-ja, president of the Unification Church, and Kwon Seong-dong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, who were at the center of alleged collusion between politics and religion.

Although the team appears to have achieved more notable results than the special investigation teams on rebellion and the marines, there are doubts about whether all the raised allegations can be clarified within the remaining maximum 90 days, as less than half of the 16 cases specified under the Special Prosecutor Act have been concluded, leaving many still unresolved.

The report recently submitted by the special prosecution team to the president and the National Assembly, requesting an extension of the investigation period, is said to list at least 11 pending issues: the so-called “NATO necklace” and other cases of bribery involving jewelry, Sambo Construction stock manipulation, preferential treatment and inadequate audits regarding the relocation of the presidential residence, bribery-like sponsorships to Covana Contents, changes to the route of the Yangpyeong Expressway, preferential permits for the Gongheung District development, intervention in nominations for general and local elections, illegal political donations from the Unification Church, mass membership registration in the People Power Party, lobbying investments in IMS Mobility, and allegations of private use of presidential office resources. The team is also investigating recent allegations that Kim Seung-hee, former presidential protocol secretary, covered up school violence involving her child.

Legal experts point out that aside from the three cases already indicted, including the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, most of the remaining cases are still under investigation, and considering the time left, the number of pending issues is excessive.

A lawyer who previously served as deputy chief prosecutor stated, “The problem with the Kim Keon-hee special prosecution team is that the investigation keeps expanding indefinitely. It is not enough to simply broaden the investigation; at an appropriate point, it must be concluded, and allegations that do not constitute crimes should be decisively set aside.”

Dispatched prosecutors express wish to return... Internal instability in the special prosecution

Min Joong-ki, the special prosecutor in charge of the case related to allegations against Kim Gun-hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, along with deputy special prosecutors, held a plaque unveiling ceremony at the special prosecutor's office set up in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul on July 2, 2025. From left: Moon Hong-ju and Park Sang-jin, deputy special prosecutors; Min Joong-ki, special prosecutor; Kim Hyung-geun and Oh Jung-hee, deputy special prosecutors; Hong Ji-hang, support team leader. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

As the intense investigation drags on, fatigue is accumulating within the special prosecution team. Recently, all prosecutors dispatched to the team submitted a statement to Min Joong-ki expressing their wish to return to their original posts after the investigation concludes. They pointed out the confusion arising from the gap between the proposed government organization act-focused on abolishing the prosecution service and separating investigation and indictment functions-and the special prosecutor’s structure, which combines direct investigation and indictment authority.

The special prosecution team explained, “This does not mean they intend to return immediately, but rather after the investigation is finished,” dismissing concerns about potential disruptions. However, the prosecutors’ statement included a request to “allow us to return after promptly concluding the ongoing cases,” indicating a difference in perception regarding the timing.

There is also a noticeable difference of opinion between the special prosecution team and the dispatched prosecutors regarding their roles in maintaining indictments during subsequent legal proceedings. The special prosecution team stated, “Given the purpose and content of the Special Prosecutor Act and the seriousness of the case, not only investigation and indictment but also maintaining the indictment must be carried out successfully. Therefore, it is necessary for the prosecutors who conducted the investigation to also participate in indictment and trial proceedings to ensure success. The specific plan for maintaining the indictment will be decided after sufficient discussion.”

Amid this atmosphere, there is concern that if some dispatched prosecutors actually request to return, the special prosecution team has no means to prevent it. Although the amended Special Prosecutor Act is expected to increase the number of deputy special prosecutors and dispatched prosecutors, concerns remain about how to maintain the team’s investigative capacity given the internal instability.