Kim Ki-hyun and Oh Se-hoon Cases Assigned to Criminal Agreement Division 22
Yoon's False Statements about Geonjin Bopsa and Kim Keon-hee's Bribery to Be Heard by Criminal Agreement Division 21
The case involving Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, and his spouse, who have been indicted on charges of gifting a Roger Vivier bag to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, will be heard by the same panel of judges overseeing the trial of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon regarding the alleged payment of polling expenses by a third party.
Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, is speaking at a meeting of petrochemical companies based in Ulsan held under the theme "Finding a Breakthrough for the Crisis in the Petrochemical Industry" at the FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul on August 19, 2025. Photo by Jo Yongjun
According to the legal community on December 30, the Seoul Central District Court has assigned the case against Assemblyman Kim and his spouse, who are accused of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, to the Criminal Agreement Division 22 (Presiding Judge Cho Hyungwoo).
The couple is accused of providing a Roger Vivier clutch bag worth 2.67 million won to First Lady Kim in March 2023. The special prosecutor team led by Min Junggi suspects that the bag was given as a reward for supporting Kim in the People Power Party leadership election held that same month, and has charged them with violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
This panel is also presiding over the case in which Mayor Oh is suspected of receiving polling results from an individual named Myung ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and having a sponsor pay the costs on his behalf. The panel is further handling the cases prosecuted by Special Prosecutor Chae Sangbyung's team (Special Prosecutor Lee Myunghyun), including the alleged escape to Australia by former Defense Minister Lee Jongseop under former President Yoon Suk-yeol, as well as the perjury charges against former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Sungkeun at the National Assembly, and the case of occupational negligence resulting in death or injury.
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol is attending the trial on charges of obstruction of official duties held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul on the 26th. Additionally, the special prosecutor's case against former President Yoon for violating the Public Official Election Act, as well as the case against First Lady Kim for charges including receiving bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, have been assigned to the Criminal Agreement Division 21 (Presiding Judge Lee Hyunbok).
Former President Yoon is accused of making false statements by publicly claiming, "I was introduced to Jeon Seongbae, known as Geonjin Bopsa, by a party official, and I have never met him together with my wife," during his candidacy for the People Power Party's presidential nomination.
First Lady Kim has been indicted on charges of accepting luxury jewelry such as Van Cleef & Arpels from Lee Bonggwan, Chairman of Sehee Construction, as well as paintings by artist Lee Ufan from former prosecutor Kim Sangmin, with the total value of the bribes amounting to 377.25 million won.
Criminal Agreement Division 21 previously sentenced former Intelligence Command Chief Noh Sangwon to two years in prison for receiving information from an agent of the Defense Security Command to form the "Second Investigation Unit" tasked with investigating election fraud allegations during the 12·3 Martial Law period.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
