On the 7th, Special Prosecutor Kim Keon-hee requested an arrest warrant against Mrs. Kim on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, among others. The day before, Mrs. Kim was questioned for 7 hours and 23 minutes, and the request was made the next day. If the court issues an arrest warrant for Mrs. Kim, it will mark the first time in constitutional history that a former presidential couple is arrested simultaneously.
◇ The arrest warrant for Mrs. Kim cites 'stock manipulation, election interference, and bribery.'
The special prosecutor announced in a media notification that at 1:21 p.m., they had requested an arrest warrant against Ms. Kim Keon-hee. It has been 36 days since the special prosecutor officially commenced the investigation with a plaque ceremony on the 2nd of last month.
The special prosecutor reportedly specified charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, violating the Political Fund Act, and allegation of coercion under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes in the arrest warrant for Mrs. Kim. Among the allegations being investigated by the special prosecutor are: ▲ allegations of involvement in stock manipulation at Deutsch Motors ▲ allegations of election interference in 2022 and 2024 ▲ allegations of soliciting bribery from Unification Church executives through Ki Jeong-seop.
The stock manipulation case involving Deutsch Motors stems from former Chairman Kwon Oh-soo, who was the largest shareholder and CEO of the listed company, collaborating with 13 others, including stock manipulators and current and former employees of securities firms, to illegally trade 15.99 million shares of Deutsch Motors (worth 63.6 billion won) using 157 accounts from 2009 to 2012. In this case, the former chairman received a sentence of 3 years in prison with a probation of 4 years. However, throughout the prosecution's investigation and the first and second trials, it was revealed that six securities accounts under Mrs. Kim's name were used in the stock manipulation. The special prosecutor believes that Mrs. Kim was aware of the stock manipulation in advance.
Mrs. Kim is also suspected of having assisted former People Power Party member Kim Young-sun in being nominated in the Changwon district during the 2022 by-election. The special prosecutor is investigating whether former President Yoon's couple received a public opinion survey worth 318 million won for the presidential election for free from Kim Young-sun and Nam Taek-kyun during the 2022 presidential campaign. They suspect that former President Yoon and his wife exerted influence to ensure that Kim became the People Power Party candidate in Changwon.
Mrs. Kim is also facing allegations that she asked former member Kim to yield her district to former prosecutor Kim Sang-min in last year's general election and to support the latter. Former prosecutor Kim is reported to be close to former President Yoon's couple.
Mrs. Kim is also suspected of receiving two 'Chanel' bags worth 10 million won each and a 'Van Cleef & Arpels' necklace worth 60 million won, among others, from Unification Church officials through Jeon Seong-bae, and of having assisted in addressing Unification Church issues.
◇ Disclosures of luxury necklace wealth were omitted from the warrant request.
On the other hand, the special prosecutor reportedly did not include allegations that Mrs. Kim violated the Public Servants Ethics Act by failing to disclose a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace worth 60 million won, which she possessed in 2022, in the arrest warrant request. Additionally, allegations related to the former President Yoon's statement during his candidacy that 'Mrs. Kim lost money from investing in Deutsch Motors' were also omitted from the public election law's false fact disclosure charge.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Kim was reportedly investigated for approximately 7 hours and 23 minutes from 10:23 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. the day before. After reviewing the documents for 3 hours, she left the special prosecutor's office around 10:52 p.m. It is reported that Mrs. Kim denied all her allegations during the investigation.