Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor, 'Butler Gate' Shinhan Bank and Gyeongnam Steel Summoned for Investigation... 'Fugitive' Lee Gi-hoon Arrest Team Formed

[Financial News] Kim Geon-hee's special prosecutor team (Min Jung-gi Special Prosecutor) will conduct a second summons investigation against Shinhan Bank and Gyeongnam Steel for the 'Butler Gate' investigation.
Oh Jeong-hee, the special prosecutor, announced that on the 23rd at 10 a.m., Shinhan Bank and Gyeongnam Steel, and from 2 p.m., JB Woori Capital officials will be investigated. On the 24th at 10 a.m., a summons investigation will be conducted on officials from Unique and Middle East Finance (currently Hancom Value Investment).
These companies invested in IMS Mobility (Be My Car), which was participated in by Kim Geon-hee's 'butler' Kim Ye-seong in 2023. At that time, IMS Mobility was in a state of capital erosion with more liabilities than net assets, but received an investment of 18.4 billion won from these companies, including Kakao Mobility, HS Hyosung, and Korea Securities Finance.
Kim is also suspected of selling shares worth over 4.6 billion won out of the 18.4 billion won investment, making a profit. The company used by Kim for this transaction is said to be InnoVest Korea, where Kim's wife, Jeong, is registered as the only internal director, raising suspicions that it might be a shell company owned by Kim.
The special prosecutor team is investigating whether these companies made investment payments to Kim in exchange for resolving various corporate issues. Former Korea Securities Finance President Yoon Chang-ho and former Kiwoom Securities Chairman Kim Ik-rae were summoned by the special prosecutor team on the 17th, and former Kakao Mobility CFO Lee was summoned on the 19th, while Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, was summoned the previous day. Cho Hyun-sang, Vice Chairman of HS Hyosung, left for Vietnam after the special prosecutor team temporarily lifted the travel ban for his overseas business trip but has not yet returned or provided a clear schedule for attendance to the special prosecutor team.
The special prosecutor team is expected to ask them whether they made investment payments to Kim in exchange for resolving issues and whether they were aware of Mrs. Kim's involvement.
Meanwhile, regarding the 'Sambu Construction Stock Manipulation Allegation,' the special prosecutor team has formed an arrest team to secure the whereabouts of Lee Gi-hoon, Vice Chairman of Sambu Construction, who fled without attending the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant review). Oh, the special prosecutor, explained, "Today, we returned the arrest warrant that expired and obtained a new arrest warrant," and "We plan to quickly apprehend him with the cooperation of the police."

theknight@fnnews.com Jeong Kyung-soo Reporter