Special counsel confirms Kim Keon-hee’s undue influence

“Evidence confirms that state affairs were unlawfully influenced behind a curtain beyond the public’s view.”

The special counsel investigating Kim Keon-hee reached that assessment on Dec. 29 with the release of its final findings into allegations that Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, interfered in state affairs. The probe was led by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki. In its conclusion, the special counsel said that the president’s spouse had engaged in what it described as a modern-day version of the buying and selling of public offices, a practice more commonly associated with history books. Investigators determined that Kim had received money and valuables worth approximately 377.25 million won.

At the same time, the special counsel said it was unable, within the legally mandated investigation period, to establish whether prior collusion had taken place between Kim and former President Yoon. Because that question remained unresolved, the bribery-related portion of the case was transferred to the National Investigation Headquarters under the National Police Agency.

Special Prosecutor Min delivered the briefing in person at the special counsel’s office in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno District, Seoul. In his remarks, he said Kim had exploited her status as the president’s spouse to readily receive high-value gifts and to intervene extensively in personnel appointments and nominations. He added that such abuse of authority by a president’s spouse had severely undermined South Korea’s public system.

The Kim Keon-hee special counsel conducted its investigation over a 180-day period, from July through Dec. 28, and indicted 20 people, including Kim, under arrest.

According to the special counsel, Kim focused on receiving money and valuables beginning in November 2021, after Yoon was selected as the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, and continuing through the period following his inauguration. “A wide range of individuals with no apparent connection to one another approached Kim, rather than the president, to submit requests, and those requests were carried out exactly as asked,” the special counsel said.

The special counsel also described the former presidential couple as a “political community.” Oh Jeong-hee, an assistant special prosecutor who examined allegations that the couple received polling data free of charge from political broker Myung Tae-kyun and intervened in candidate nominations, said it had become clear that Kim played a leading role from the early stages of Yoon’s entry into politics. She added that Kim continued to actively intervene in nominations even after Yoon was elected president, operating alongside him as part of what the special counsel characterized as a political community.

Investigators also said the Unification Church provided money and valuables through Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geonjin, to arrange meetings with Kim and officials of the Yoon administration. The purpose, the special counsel said, was to press requests related to pending issues, including a proposed South Korea-Japan undersea tunnel. Responding to allegations of a biased investigation, which arose after testimony from Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church’s global headquarters, claimed that he had given valuables to Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jeon Jae-soo and former lawmaker Lim Jong-seong without a probe being opened, the special counsel said the matter did not meet the criteria for investigation. It cited the absence of the temporal, material and personal connections required under the special counsel law.

Addressing the death of a Yangpyeong County official who was under investigation and later died by suicide, Assistant Special Prosecutor Moon Hong-joo said the investigative team wished to once again express its deep regret to the bereaved family. The special counsel transferred cases it was unable to conclude within the investigation period, including allegations concerning changes to the route of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway, to the police.


손준영 기자 hand@donga.com