Special counsel wraps up Kim Keon Hee probe

The special counsel investigating allegations involving Kim Keon Hee, led by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-gi, will conclude its 180-day probe on the 29th. With the investigation by the special counsel into alleged insurrection ending on the 15th and the special counsel probe into the death of a Marine corporal concluding on Nov. 28, all three major special counsel investigations linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol are coming to a close.

The Kim Keon Hee special counsel will announce its final findings at 10 a.m. on the 29th at its offices in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Seoul’s Jongno District. The team, which officially launched with a signboard ceremony on July 2, signaled an aggressive approach early on by notifying Kim and former President Yoon on July 21 that they were required to appear for questioning.

Kim first appeared before the special counsel for questioning on Aug. 6 and was detained less than a week later. She was indicted on Aug. 29, marking the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that a former first lady was arrested and indicted. The special counsel said that although Kim denied the allegations during questioning, investigators secured substantial physical evidence and testimony from related parties.

The initial charges against Kim included allegations of stock price manipulation involving Deutsch Motors, suspicions that political broker Myung Tae-kyun interfered in candidate nominations on her behalf, and bribery allegations linked to Jeon Seong-bae, a self-styled shaman known as Geonjin, and the Unification Church. The investigation later expanded to include so-called office-buying allegations related to influence peddling involving public positions. The special counsel said it confirmed circumstances indicating that Kim received multiple high-value items, including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace from Lee Bong-kwan, chairman of Seohee Construction, and a gold turtle ornament from former National Education Commission Chairman Lee Bae-yong.

The special counsel concluded that Kim faced a total of 10 charges and generated more than 1.3 billion won in criminal proceeds. It said it would seek to preserve about 370 million won in assets for potential forfeiture. Former President Yoon has also been indicted and is standing trial on charges that include receiving free public opinion polling services from Myung.

However, the special counsel did not reach conclusions on several matters, including alleged stock price manipulation involving Sambuto Construction, preferential treatment in the Yangpyeong expressway development project, and suspicions involving Kim Ye-sung, a figure described as Kim’s so-called steward. The special counsel said it plans to transfer all investigative records to the National Office of Investigation under the National Police Agency so that additional inquiries can continue.


손준영 기자 hand@donga.com