Special Prosecutor, Second Summons Investigation After Kim Gun-hee's Arrest... Geonjin Beopsa and Kim Ye-seong Also Attend

[Financial News] The special prosecutor team for Kim Gun-hee (Min Jung-gi special prosecutor) has summoned Mrs. Kim Gun-hee again for investigation on 16 charges, including allegations of stock manipulation involving Deutsche Motors.
Mrs. Kim appeared at the special prosecutor's office located in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 9:38 a.m. on the 18th, while being transported in a Ministry of Justice vehicle. Mrs. Kim had previously been summoned once before her arrest on the 6th and was first questioned after her arrest on the 14th.
Mrs. Kim was arrested on the 12th for violating the Capital Markets Act (Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegations) and the Political Funds Act (allegations of involvement in Myung Tae-kyun's nomination), as well as for bribery under the Special Act (allegations of solicitation by Geonjin Beopsa). In the first investigation, Mrs. Kim did not exercise her right to remain silent and denied most charges, but after her arrest, she began using her right to remain silent as a strategy.
The special prosecutor team is also investigating Jeon Seong-bae, who is under suspicion of 'solicitation allegations'. Mr. Jeon responded to the prosecution's investigation after the allegations emerged last year, but this is the first summons by the special prosecutor team.
Mr. Jeon is suspected of having received a diamond necklace and Chanel bag from the Unification Church as gifts for Mrs. Kim Gun-hee and conveying them to her, as well as making personnel solicitations to influential figures in politics. He is also suspected of having arranged for Unification Church members to join the People Power Party en masse to support 'Pro-Yoon' Kwon Seong-dong's election ahead of the 2023 party convention. There are also allegations of solicitation for the nomination of specific individuals during the 2022 local elections.
At the time, Yun Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters, who was a key official in delivering items and solicitations to Mr. Jeon, reportedly discussed △support for the Unification Church's Mekong River development project in Cambodia △acquisition of YTN by the Unification Church △hosting the UN's 5th Secretariat in Korea △invitation to the presidential inauguration.
Mr. Kim Ye-seong, identified as Mrs. Kim's butler, also appeared for the first summons investigation after his arrest. The 'Butler Gate' centers on Mr. Kim, who was involved in the establishment of IMS Mobility (Be My Car), receiving corporate investments of 18.4 billion won, allegedly using Mrs. Kim's status.
The special prosecutor team suspects Mr. Kim of using Mrs. Kim's status for quid pro quo investments related to each company's legal risks. Additionally, they believe Mr. Kim embezzled 3.38872 billion won through a company called Innovest Korea, and the special prosecutor team is expanding the investigation. The team plans to detain Mr. Kim to probe Mrs. Kim's involvement.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor team will summon Lee Jong-ho, former Black Pearl Invest CEO and known close associate of Mrs. Kim, at 10 a.m. on the 19th.
Mr. Lee was arrested for allegedly receiving over 80 million won across 25 instances from June 2022 to February 2023, promising to secure a suspended sentence for Lee Jeong-pil, the 'main player' in the first Deutsche Motors stock manipulation.
Mr. Lee is considered a key figure in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, acting as the 'control tower'. He is also known as Mrs. Kim's account manager and is suspected of involvement in other cases linked to Mrs. Kim, such as the Sambo Construction stock manipulation and the Im Seong-geun and Jo Byeong-no lobbying scandal related to the Chae Sang-byeong incident.


theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter