The schedule for the pretrial detention hearing (warrant review) of former Director General Prosecutor Kim Sang-min, who is suspected of handing over an expensive painting to first lady Kim Keon-hee's side in return for a nomination, has been set for the 17th.
The Seoul Central District Court said on the 12th that Kim's warrant review will be held at 2:30 p.m. on the 17th before presiding judge Park Jeong-ho, who handles warrants.
Special prosecutor Min Jung-gi's team, which is investigating the allegations involving Kim, said that it requested an arrest warrant for Kim that day on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
At the end of last July, while searching the home of Kim Keon-hee's older brother, Kim Jin-woo, the special counsel team found artist Lee Ufan's painting "From Point 800298."
The team confirmed that Kim delivered this painting to Kim Jin-woo and suspects that, in return for the painting, there may have been help for Kim's nomination in the Apr. 10 general election last year and for his appointment as a legal policy adviser to the National Intelligence Service.
Although whether it is a forgery has not yet been determined, the team assessed the value of the painting at 100 million won or more, the price Kim paid to purchase it, regardless of authenticity.
Initially, the painting was brought to Korea after a Korean person surnamed Lee won it for about 30 million won at a Taiwan auction in June 2022, and after changing hands several times, its price jumped into the 100 million won range. Kim is said to have bought it for about 140 million won in January 2023.
The arrest warrant application lists Kim Keon-hee as the recipient. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was a public official, should be listed as the recipient, but because he is refusing to comply with the special counsel team's summons for questioning, the name of his spouse, Kim, was put down.
Kim argues that the painting was not a bribe for a favor. After being questioned by the special counsel team on the 9th, Kim said, "The painting is not owned by me; I only brokered it at the request of Kim Jin-woo," and added, "I do not know the source of the funds. The money came from Kim Jin-woo."
According to a reconstructed transcript of a recorded call released through an attorney for Myeong Tae-gyun, Kim Keon-hee said in a call with Myeong ahead of the general election in April last year, "Please help Kim Sang-min become a member of the National Assembly for (Changwon) Uichang District." Kim ultimately did not win the nomination. However, after the election, he was appointed a legal policy special adviser to the National Intelligence Service.
Kim is also suspected of receiving political funds. While preparing to run in the Apr. 10 general election last year, he allegedly had the rental fee for a campaign vehicle paid on his behalf by a person surnamed Park. Park is on trial on charges including taking 80.9 billion won in the process of issuing and listing the scam coin "Grape" from February 2021 to April 2022.