A civic group raised suspicions that special operation expenses were used in the clothing purchasing process by former President Moon Jae-in's spouse, Kim Jung-sook, and has filed a renewed complaint with the prosecution, disputing the police's dismissal of the case.
According to the legal community on the 25th, the People's Livelihood Policy Committee (People's Committee) submitted a complaint against Mrs. Kim to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 24th for charges of coercion, embezzlement in the course of duty, and losses to the national treasury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
The People's Committee reported to the police that Mrs. Kim had requested financial support for outfits from the special operation expenses officer at the Blue House between May 2017 and May 2022, and had received the budget in cash, leading to losses to the national treasury.
The police dismissed the case against Mrs. Kim on the 21st, about five months after accepting the case, stating that there was no evidence or circumstance to prove the allegations.
They judged that despite conducting extensive investigations, including a seizure of documents at the Presidential Archives and inquiries into Blue House officials, and investigating indications that official seals were used for the payment of clothing, there were no significant results.
The People's Committee claimed, "Although the seizure of the residence of the accused party in Yangsan Pyeongsan Village was a prerequisite, they focused only on the record of special operation expenses in May."