Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Re-summons Businessman in 'Vacheron Constantin Watch Allegation'... 'Not a Favoritism Case'

[Financial News] Seo Seongbin, a businessman accused of giving a Vacheron Constantin watch to Kim Keon-hee and lobbying for a robot dog contract, appeared once again before the Kim Keon-hee special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki. Seo strongly denied the allegations surrounding him.
On the 20th, Seo was summoned for questioning at the special counsel’s office located in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul. He had previously been questioned as a reference witness on August 8 and 17.
Before entering, Seo told reporters that he had not yet received the watch back, responding, "I still haven't gotten it," and added, "I should be reimbursed for the watch."
Seo argued against the allegations, stating, "I offered 50 million won and signed a contract for 17.9 million won. How is this favoritism?"
When asked if he had ever been asked by Ghost Robotics to connect them to Kim Keon-hee, Seo replied, "That never happened." He added, "If knowing someone named Kim Keon-hee at the time is considered a crime, then I suppose I must accept the punishment. There is nothing else."
Seo is accused of delivering a Vacheron Constantin watch worth about 50 million won to Kim Keon-hee. Drone Dome, the company he operates, was established in 2017 and, just four months after signing an exclusive distribution agreement with Ghost Robotics' Korean branch, signed a direct contract with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) for 'robot dogs.' The contract at the time was reportedly worth about 18 million won over three months. The special counsel suspects Seo delivered the watch to Kim Keon-hee and subsequently secured the contract with the Office of the President of South Korea. During a search of the residence of Kim Jin-woo’s mother-in-law, Kim Keon-hee’s older brother, the special counsel team found the box and warranty for the Vacheron Constantin watch allegedly given by Seo, but has not yet located the actual watch.
Seo admitted he purchased the watch at a discounted price of 35 million won and delivered it directly to Kim Keon-hee, but maintains that he was only asked to make the purchase on her behalf. He also claims to have received only 5 million won back, with the remaining 30 million won still unpaid.
The special counsel team is accelerating its investigation into the so-called 'Vacheron Constantin watch bribery allegation.' On the previous day, Kim Sung-hoon, former deputy chief of the Presidential Security Service, and on this day, Lee Young, former Minister of SMEs and Startups, were also questioned as reference witnesses. The team reportedly questioned Kim Sung-hoon about whether the PSS proceeded with the robot dog contract due to Kim Keon-hee’s involvement. Lee Young is suspected of promoting the robot dog during the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' 'Donghaeng Festival' in August 2022 and at her book launch event in January last year, ahead of the general election. The special counsel plans to further investigate any connections between Lee Young and the robot dog company.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter