Special Prosecutor, 'Kim Geon-hee's Brother' Kim Jin-woo Summoned for Investigation... 'Yangpyeong Gongheung District Preferential Treatment Allegations' Investigation Accelerates

[Financial News] The special prosecutor team for Kim Geon-hee (Min Jung-gi, special prosecutor) has summoned Kim Jin-woo, the brother of Kim Geon-hee, for investigation.
The special prosecutor team has been summoning Kim since the afternoon of the 28th. Previously, on the 25th, the special prosecutor team conducted searches and seizures at the residences and offices of Kim Seon-kyo, a member of the National Assembly, Kim, and Kim's mother, Choi Eun-soon.
The special prosecutor team plans to question Kim about the 'Yangpyeong Gongheung District preferential treatment allegations.' The 'Yangpyeong Gongheung District preferential treatment allegations' involve suspicions that ESI&D, a company owned by Kim's family, received preferential treatment during the urban development project in Gongheung-ri, Yangpyeong-gun, from 2011 to 2016, as Yangpyeong-gun did not impose development charges and retroactively extended the project deadline. At that time, Kim, who was the mayor of Yangpyeong-gun, reportedly boasted of his friendship with former President Yoon Seok-yeol at the opening ceremony of his campaign office for the 2023 Yangpyeong-gun mayoral election, saying, "I granted the permit well," and "The president-elect was sorry about the matter with my mother-in-law."
The special prosecutor team plans to ask whether Kim was directly involved in the Yangpyeong Gongheung District development project, whether Kim used her public position to pressure the development project, and whether Kim provided preferential treatment with a quid pro quo to Yoon and his wife.
Additionally, the special prosecutor team plans to question about the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace worth 60 million won worn by Kim. The necklace was worn by Kim during the NATO tour in 2023 but was missing from Kim's property declaration. The presidential office explained, "It was borrowed from an acquaintance."
However, during the search and seizure process, the special prosecutor team secured the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace at Kim's mother-in-law's house in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Kim's side explained that the necklace is a replica and that Kim purchased it herself. The special prosecutor team is expected to delve into the circumstances under which Kim acquired the necklace, how it was found at her mother-in-law's house, and who the owner of the necklace is.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor is also conducting a summons investigation on Hwang Soo-nam, former CEO of KB Capital, in connection with the 'Butler Gate.' Hwang left KB Capital at the end of last year and moved to Deutsche Financial, a subsidiary of Deutsche Motors. It is reported that KB Capital invested over 2 billion won in IMS Mobility (Be My Car), which was involved in the establishment by Kim Ye-seong, known as Kim's 'butler,' in 2023. The special prosecutor team plans to investigate Hwang about the background and process of KB Capital's investment, the background and process of his job change, and whether Kim was involved in the investment.

theknight@fnnews.com Jeong Kyung-soo Reporter