Kim Yeseong Acquitted and Indictment Dismissed in First Trial
Some Charges Against Kim Sangmin Ruled "Not Guilty"
The special prosecutor team led by Min Jungki, which investigated allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee, has appealed the first-instance rulings in the cases of Kim Yeseong, the so-called "butler," and former prosecutor Kim Sangmin. In the first trial, Kim was acquitted and the indictment was dismissed.
Kim Sangmin, a former chief prosecutor implicated in the 'Myung Taegyun nomination intervention' case, appeared on the 9th as a suspect before the Kim Keonhee special prosecutor team set up at the Korea Telecom Gwanghwamun Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and answered reporters' questions. 2025.9.9 Jo Yongjun, Reporter
On the 11th, the special prosecutor team announced, "Today we filed an appeal against the first-instance ruling handed down on the 9th in the case involving defendant Kim Yeseong on charges including embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, and in the case involving defendant Kim Sangmin on charges including violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act."
On the 9th, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the indictment against Kim, who had been charged with embezzlement and occupational embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, stating that "a substantial portion of the allegations in the indictment does not fall within the scope of the special prosecutor's mandate." The court also acquitted Kim with respect to 2.43 billion won of the alleged embezzled funds.
Kim is regarded as a key figure in the so-called "butler gate" scandal. The special prosecutor team indicted and detained Kim on charges that IMS Mobility, a rental car company in which he participated in the establishment and held shares, unjustly received 18.4 billion won in investments in 2023 from companies including Kakao Mobility, HS Hyosung, and Shinhan Bank through the private equity fund manager Oasis Equity Partners, and that he embezzled 2.43 billion won together with IMS Mobility CEO Cho Youngtak.
On the same day, former prosecutor Kim was acquitted on the main charge that he delivered works by artist Lee Ufan and others to the First Lady and made an improper solicitation. However, he was convicted on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year.
Former prosecutor Kim was indicted and detained in October 2025 on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act for purchasing Lee Ufan's painting "From Point No. 800298," worth about 140 million won, and delivering it to the First Lady's side around February 2023 while soliciting a nomination in the April 10, 2024 general election. He also faces charges of violating the Political Funds Act for unlawfully receiving 42 million won from a businessman surnamed Kim, purportedly to cover expenses such as rental fees and insurance for a campaign vehicle while preparing to run in the general election.
Regarding the not-guilty ruling on Kim's embezzlement charge, the special prosecutor team countered that "this constitutes a textbook case of embezzlement, in which corporate funds were arbitrarily used for personal purposes," and argued, with respect to the dismissal of the indictment, that "the facts were uncovered in the course of a legitimate investigation conducted under the Special Prosecutor Act."
Concerning former prosecutor Kim, the team stressed, "This is an utterly unacceptable and irrational decision that deliberately turns a blind eye to core facts established by objective evidence."
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