Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor, 'NATO Necklace' Fake... Suspected of Replacement
- Input
- 2025-07-30 04:45:03
- Updated
- 2025-07-30 04:45:03
[Financial News] The Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Team (Min Jung-gi Special Prosecutor) recently suspected a high-priced necklace obtained during a search and seizure to be a fake and is investigating the possibility of 'replacement'.
According to the legal community on the 30th, the special prosecutor team assessed that the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace found at the home of Kim's brother-in-law, Kim Jin-woo's mother-in-law, on the 25th was not genuine.
The special prosecutor team is investigating with the possibility in mind that they might have hidden the genuine item and prepared a fake as a form of evidence destruction in preparation for the search and seizure.
In June 2022, Kim attended the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit in Spain with former President Yoon Seok-yeol, wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace worth about 60 million won.
According to the Public Officials Ethics Act, jewelry worth more than 5 million won must be reported, but the jewelry was omitted from former President Yoon's property report at the time, causing controversy.
During the search and seizure on the 25th, not only the necklace but also other items, including a painting presumed to be by artist Lee U-hwan, were found.
The special prosecutor team is investigating with the possibility in mind that if the painting is genuine, it could be a bribe worth tens of billions of won.
Regarding this, Kim's side stated, "The cash bundles or paintings by the artist that are said to have come from somewhere have nothing to do with Kim Geon-hee and are the property of others," and "We will clarify this faithfully with the investigative agency in the future."
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor team pressured former President Yoon Seok-yeol to appear by mentioning forced investigation after he refused to attend the first summons investigation on this day.
They stated that they resent the request to appear at 10 a.m. on the 30th to the Seoul Detention Center warden and that if he refuses again, they will proceed with forced investigation, including applying for an arrest warrant.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter