Special Prosecutor Indicts Kim Geon-hee, Focuses on 'Selling Positions' and Personnel Misconduct

[Financial News]  The special prosecutor team led by Min Joong-ki has indicted Kim Geon-hee, the pinnacle of the case, 59 days after the investigation began, but many suspicions remain unresolved. The full extent of personnel misconduct, including interference in nominations and 'selling positions,' is also considered one of them.
According to the legal community on the 31st, the special prosecutor team indicted Kim Geon-hee on the 29th for stock manipulation of Deutsche Motors, interference in nominations by Myung Tae-kyun, and allegations of solicitation involving Geonjin Monk and the Unification Church, while also examining other cases under the special prosecutor law.
The special prosecutor team is focusing its investigative efforts on verifying the facts of allegations that Kim Geon-hee received expensive jewelry from various individuals in exchange for personnel solicitations.
A representative allegation is that Kim Geon-hee received a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and other items from Lee Bong-gwan, chairman of Seohee Construction, in March 2022, along with a request for his eldest son-in-law to be given a public office opportunity.
Park Sung-geun, the former chief secretary to the prime minister, who is the eldest son-in-law of Chairman Lee and a former prosecutor, was appointed about three months after the necklace was delivered.
Robot dog entrepreneur Seo Sung-bin is suspected of gifting a Vacheron Constantin watch worth about 50 million won to Kim Geon-hee in September 2022 to receive business conveniences.
Mr. Seo claimed that Kim Geon-hee, after receiving the watch, suggested a position as the chief of public relations at the presidential office, asking for help with Yoon Seok-yeol's 'doorstepping' (questions on the way to work).
Recently, suspicions of personnel solicitation through Kim Geon-hee in the appointment process of Lee Bae-yong as chairman of the National Education Commission have emerged, expanding the 'selling positions' allegations.
During a search and seizure related to the alleged preferential treatment in the development of Yangpyeong Gongheung District by Kim Geon-hee's family, the special prosecutor team found a letter that appears to have been written by Chairman Lee to former President Yoon and his spouse, along with a golden turtle.
Another branch of Kim Geon-hee's personnel misconduct allegations involves interference in nominations through 'political broker' Myung Tae-kyun and 'Geonjin Monk' Jeon Sung-bae. The key issue is whether Kim Geon-hee had influence in the actual nomination process.
The indictment of Kim Geon-hee includes allegations that the couple received poll results worth 270 million won from Myung before the 2022 presidential election.
Kim Geon-hee is suspected of exerting influence to have former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun and others nominated in the 6·1 by-elections that year in exchange.
There are also allegations that Kim Geon-hee tried to have former prosecutor Kim Sang-min run in the Changwon Uichang constituency of Gyeongnam, which was Kim Young-sun's former district, during the April 10 general elections last year. It is also claimed that Kim Geon-hee exerted influence through Myung in the nomination process of Park Wan-su, governor of Gyeongnam, and Kim Jin-tae, governor of Gangwon, during the 2022 local elections.
In the investigation of solicitation allegations involving Geonjin Monk and the Unification Church, it is alleged that Kim Geon-hee mobilized Unification Church members to intervene in the 2023 People Power Party convention through Jeon Sung-bae, promising proportional representation nominations in the general elections last year in return.
In November 2022, ahead of the People Power Party convention, Yoon Mo, the global head of the Unification Church, texted Mr. Jeon asking, "What exactly is Yoon's intention?" and "How large a scale is needed for the convention?" Mr. Jeon replied, "Yoon's intention remains unchanged, Kwon," pointing to lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong.
After lawmaker Kwon decided not to run for the party leadership election, the support target reportedly shifted to lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun, according to the special prosecutor team. The intention was to systematically support by enrolling Unification Church members as People Power Party members, and the special prosecutor team suspects that Kim Geon-hee might be behind the designation and support of Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Ki-hyun as 'Yoon's intention.'
The special prosecutor team is also looking into whether Kim Geon-hee had any influence on the appointment of Unification Church personnel to high positions in the National Unification Advisory Council by former President Yoon in August 2023.
Lawmaker Kwon is currently facing an arrest warrant for allegedly receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds from the Unification Church. However, lawmaker Kwon strongly denies the allegations, stating, "I have visited the Unification Church but have never received any money." Han Hak-ja, the president of the Unification Church, also stated, "I have never instructed any illegal political solicitation or financial transactions."




theknight@fnnews.com Jeong Kyung-soo Reporter