"Kim Keon Hee Faces 7 Years and 6 Months in Prison in 'Brokerage-for-Favors' Case... 'Betrayed Public Trust'"

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\r\n[Financial News] The Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Team, led by Special Counsel Min Joung-kie, sought a prison term of seven years and six months for Kim Keon Hee, who was brought to trial on charges that she accepted valuables and interfered in personnel matters.
On the 15th, Criminal Agreement Division 21 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Cho Soon-pyo, held the closing arguments hearing for Kim, who is charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes for brokerage-related bribery.
The special counsel team requested a sentence of seven years and six months in prison and a fine of about 56 million won. It also asked the court to confiscate the items Kim allegedly received, including Lee Ufan's "From Point No. 800298," a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a Tiffany brooch, and a Dior bag.
The special counsel team said, "This case amounts to 'brokerage-for-favors,' in which the defendant, Kim Keon Hee, repeatedly accepted valuables while treating the president's authority as a subject of private transactions by virtue of being the president's spouse." It added, "The president's spouse is expected to exercise a high level of restraint and integrity, and should remain in a position of assisting and supporting state affairs while staying away from private interests. Nevertheless, the defendant used the influence of the president's spouse as a subject of private transactions. She reduced the state's public authority and influence to an object of bribery."
It further stated, "The defendant has committed a serious crime that goes beyond personal corruption and gravely undermines the Republic of Korea's public trust in fairness and integrity."
The trial over Kim's brokerage-for-favors allegations will conclude with today's hearing. The court is scheduled to hand down its verdict on the 26th of next month.
The special counsel team also sought prison terms of one year for Lee Bong-gwan, chairman of SEOHEE CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD., one year and six months for Dronedom CEO Seo Seong-bin, and four months for Choi Jae-young, who were accused of providing valuables to Kim in violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
Lee Bae-yong, former chairperson of the National Education Commission, who is suspected of seeking favors involving a gold turtle, was also sought a one-year prison term on charges including instigating destruction of evidence.
Kim is accused of receiving jewelry worth a total of about 138 million won from Lee between around March 15, 2022, and May 20, 2022, in exchange for business favors and personnel requests related to her son-in-law, former prosecutor Park Sung-geun. The jewelry included a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a Graff necklace, and a Tiffany brooch, and is said to be the jewelry Kim wore during her NATO tour.
She is also accused of receiving a gold turtle worth about 2.65 million won from Lee Bae-yong between around April 26, 2022, and June of that year, in return for a personnel request aimed at securing her appointment as chairperson of the National Education Commission. Kim also faces allegations over receiving a Vacheron Constantin watch. The special counsel team said she received the watch, worth about 39.9 million won, from Seo on Sept. 8, 2022, in connection with a bid for a robot dog project for the Presidential Security Service (PSS).
Kim is also accused of receiving a painting by Lee Ufan, worth about 140 million won, from former chief prosecutor Kim Sang-min around February 2023, ahead of the 22nd general election, in exchange for a request for a nomination. She is further accused of receiving Dior bags and other items worth a total of about 5.4 million won from Choi after he made requests between around June 20, 2022, and Sept. 13 of that year.
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theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter