Kim Keon Hee’s Mother and Older Brother Reappear Before Special Prosecutor... Named as Suspects in Yangpyeong Gongheung District Case

[Financial News] Choi Eun-soon, mother of Kim Keon Hee, and her brother Kim Jin-woo, have once again appeared before the Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor’s team (led by Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki) in connection with the alleged preferential treatment in the Yangpyeong Gongheung District development project.
On the 4th, both appeared at the special prosecutor’s office in KT Gwanghwamun Building West for questioning. They are suspects under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, accused of causing losses to the state treasury in relation to the Yangpyeong Gongheung District development case.
Choi declined to answer reporters’ questions as she entered the office, including, “What is your position regarding the special prosecutor’s investigation?”, “What are your thoughts on the allegations of preferential treatment regarding the development charges?”, “Why did you take the appointment card of former National Education Commission Chair Lee Bae-yong and the police personnel documents?”, and “Why were you keeping the golden turtle?”
Kim Jin-woo also remained silent in response to questions such as, “The police previously cleared the Gongheung District case, but the special prosecutor is reinvestigating—do you have a comment?”, “How did you avoid paying the development charges?”, and “Why did you destroy evidence?”
The 'Yangpyeong Gongheung District preferential treatment allegations' center on claims that ESI&D, a company owned by Kim Keon Hee’s family, received special treatment during the urban development project in Gongheung-ri, Yangpyeong County, between 2011 and 2016. The county allegedly did not impose development charges and retroactively extended the project deadline. Choi Eun-soon served as CEO of ESI&D until 2014, after which Kim Jin-woo took over as CEO and reportedly exercised effective management control.
Kim Keon Hee also once served as an inside director at the company. The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Division, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, which previously investigated the case, referred Kim Jin-woo and four others to prosecutors in May 2023 with a recommendation for indictment. However, it decided not to refer Choi Eun-soon and Kim Keon Hee, citing a lack of evidence of their involvement.
In addition, both Choi and Kim face allegations of evidence destruction. During a search of a nursing home operated by Choi in connection with the Gongheung District case, the special prosecutor’s team discovered a police personnel list. As the list was not included in the original search warrant, investigators only photographed it and left. After obtaining a new warrant and returning for a second search, the list had disappeared. The special prosecutor’s team suspects that the Kim family intentionally destroyed evidence and has launched an investigation.
The special prosecutor’s team plans to question both individuals regarding how they avoided development charges, whether they received preferential treatment through then-Yangpyeong County Governor Kim Seon-kyo, and the circumstances and methods of the alleged destruction of evidence, including the police personnel list.

theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter