Special Prosecutor Team: "We Will Review the Entire Investigation Process"
No Video Recording Conducted During Questioning Due to the Deceased's Objection
On October 13, Min Joong-ki's special prosecutor team, which is investigating various allegations surrounding Kim Gun-hee, expressed condolences for the civil servant from Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, who was found dead at home after being questioned, and announced that it would review the entire investigation process.
Min Joong-ki, the special prosecutor in charge of the case related to allegations against Kim Gun-hee, wife of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, is giving a greeting speech at the plaque unveiling ceremony held on July 2, 2025, at the special prosecutor's office set up in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun
Kim Hyung-geun, the assistant special prosecutor, said at a regular briefing that day, "We once again sincerely express our condolences to the late Yangpyeong County civil servant and offer our deepest sympathies to the bereaved family. We will conduct a thorough investigation equivalent to an internal audit."
He continued, "Taking this incident as an opportunity, we will meticulously re-examine the investigation status and methods for all cases. We will make every effort to ensure that there is no negligence in protecting the human rights of those involved in the case."
Person A appeared before the special prosecutor's team as a suspect on July 2, 2025, in connection with the alleged preferential treatment in the Yangpyeong Gongheung District development project. On October 10, Person A was found dead at home in Yangpyeong-eup, Yangpyeong County. In a handwritten note left by Person A, it was stated that they experienced psychological distress due to the investigation and were pressured to testify that they had followed the instructions of Kim Sun-kyo, a People Power Party lawmaker who was then the head of Yangpyeong County.
Previously, on October 10, the day Person A was found dead, the special prosecutor's team stated in a press release that "no evidence of coercive or illegal investigation was found during the internal review." However, since Person A did not consent to video recording during the summons investigation, there is no video footage available to verify the circumstances of that day.
The special prosecutor's team stated that if any issues are identified through a fact-finding investigation, appropriate measures will be taken. They are also considering reconstructing the events by reviewing any available footage from rest areas or of Person A returning home, and may release relevant videos. Kim, the assistant special prosecutor, said, "To verify the facts accurately, we are conducting an investigation equivalent to an internal audit in a thorough and objective manner. If any problems are found, we will take corresponding actions."
The Yangpyeong Gongheung District development preferential treatment allegation concerns claims that ESI&D, the family company of Kim Gun-hee's mother Choi Eun-soon, received special treatment while developing an apartment project in the Yangpyeong Gongheung District from 2011 to 2016, including not paying any development charges. Person A is known to have been responsible for work related to development charges at the Yangpyeong County Office in 2016.
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