'Kyeong-ok Yu, the Chanel Bag Intermediary for Kim Keon-hee,' Fails to Appear as Witness... Geonjin Beopsa's Brother-in-Law Says, 'Retrieved the Item in Hannam-dong'

[Financial News] Kyeong-ok Yu, a former administrative officer at the Office of the President of South Korea who has been identified as the intermediary who delivered valuables from Geonjin Beopsa (Jeon Sungbae) to Kim Keon-hee, did not appear as a witness in court.
On the 29th, the Seoul Central District Court's 27th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Insung Woo) held the fifth hearing for Kim Keon-hee, who is on trial for alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act and other charges.
On this day, witness examinations were scheduled for both former administrative officers Kyeong-ok Yu and Ji-Won Jeong, but neither appeared. Both are considered part of Kim Keon-hee's so-called 'inner circle.' In particular, Yu has been identified as the person who handed over items such as a Graff necklace and a Chanel bag, which Jeon Sungbae received from Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters. Jeong, meanwhile, is claimed by Kim Keon-hee's side to be the actual user of the contact labeled 'Keon-hee2' in Jeon's mobile phone.
The Special Prosecutor Team had requested the witness examination to confirm whether Yu actually delivered the valuables to Kim Keon-hee and whether Jeong was indeed the user of the relevant contact.
However, as both Yu and Jeong failed to appear, the examination was postponed to the next session, which is scheduled for the 14th of next month.
On this day, Mr. Kim, Jeon Sungbae's brother-in-law, appeared as a witness. He has been identified as the person who, at Jeon's request, delivered valuables intended for Kim Keon-hee to Kyeong-ok Yu.
Mr. Kim admitted in his testimony that he delivered the valuables. He stated, 'I did not know Yu personally, but at my brother-in-law's (Jeon Sungbae's) instruction, I was told to deliver something to someone, so I did. I do not remember who it was.' When asked by the Special Prosecutor Team if he knew at the time that the recipient was Kyeong-ok Yu, he replied, 'I only found out recently. Back then, my brother-in-law just told me to deliver it to someone, and I didn't know who it was. After the incident came to light, I realized it was that person.'
Mr. Kim testified that he received Kyeong-ok Yu's contact information from Jeon Sungbae and was instructed to deliver the item. He then sent a text message to Yu and handed over the goods. However, he added that he only passed on the shopping bag as it was and did not know the specific contents.
Mr. Kim explained that he delivered the item at Acrovista, where the former president and his wife Kim Keon-hee resided, and later retrieved it near Hannam-dong.
Additionally, the Special Prosecutor Team disclosed a mobile phone message in which Jeon Sungbae sent a list of personnel requests for the Office of the President of South Korea to Kim Keon-hee. The message included the names of the individuals and their desired departments, such as the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Personnel Management, the Office of the Presidential Protocol Secretary, and the Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs.
The Special Prosecutor Team asked, 'Are you aware that in April 2022, Jeon Sungbae sent a message from the defendant's phone requesting the appointment of eight people as administrative officers at the Office of the President of South Korea?' Mr. Kim responded, 'At the time, there was talk about taking care of those who had worked hard during the election, so I think that's why it happened.'
The court decided to recall Mr. Kim for further questioning at 5 p.m. next month.

theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter