Shin Su-jin, Former Secretary, Appears Before Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Over Alleged Private Use of Jongmyo Shrine

[Financial News] In connection with allegations of First Lady Kim Keon Hee’s private use of Jongmyo Shrine, Shin Su-jin, former Secretary to the President for Culture, Sports and Tourism, appeared before the Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Team led by Min Joong-ki.
On the 4th, the Special Prosecutor Team summoned Shin Su-jin to their office located at KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, for questioning. Shin Su-jin is being investigated as a suspect for abuse of authority.
First Lady Kim is suspected of holding a tea gathering with outsiders at Mangmyoru Pavilion inside Jongmyo Shrine in September last year. The gathering took place in an area normally closed to the public, and suspicions were raised as CCTV recording was halted from 2:50 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. for 1 hour and 30 minutes on a public holiday.
Recently, the Korea Heritage Service stated at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly that during a pre-inspection for the tea gathering at Jongmyo Shrine on the morning of September 2 last year, the Office of the Secretary to the President for Culture, Sports and Tourism received instructions from Kim Keon Hee to 'arrive via the west gate, proceed through Yeongnyeongjeon Hall to Mangmyoru Pavilion,' and to 'open one section of the inner chamber of Yeongnyeongjeon Hall for viewing.' The Special Prosecutor Team believes that Kim Keon Hee, who held no official position or authority, used presidential resources for personal benefit and plans to continue its investigation.
The Special Prosecutor Team, considering that Shin Su-jin was the secretary at the Office of the Secretary to the President for Culture, Sports and Tourism at the time, has booked her as a suspect for abuse of authority. The investigation will focus on the circumstances and route of the tea gathering at Jongmyo Shrine, the reasons Shin Su-jin instructed the Korea Heritage Service, and whether there were direct orders from Kim Keon Hee.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter