The special counsel's questioning of Kim Keon-hee's older brother, Kim Jin-woo, on the 19th ended after about nine hours.
After finishing the questioning, Kim Jin-woo left the special counsel's office and did not answer reporters' questions such as "What did you say today?" Kim appeared before the special counsel as a reference at about 10 a.m. in connection with the "painting delivery allegations." The questioning continued until around 7 p.m.
It was reported that the special counsel looked into how former prosecutor Kim Sang-min, who was arrested on charges of seeking a party nomination, came to receive a painting by artist Lee Ufan. The special counsel was also said to have pressed Kim Jin-woo on allegations of evidence concealment. The special counsel suspects that Kim stored the painting in another location to hide the fact that the first lady received the painting.
The painting delivery allegations are that in January 2023, the former prosecutor paid in cash in the 100 million won range for Lee Ufan's painting "From Point No.800298," handed it to the first lady's older brother, Kim Jin-woo, and then sought a nomination in the 22nd general election last year and was appointed a legal adviser to the National Intelligence Service.
Earlier, in late Jul., the special counsel discovered the painting while searching Kim Jin-woo's home. The painting was reportedly brought into Korea after a Korean person surnamed Lee won it for about 30 million won at a Taiwan auction in Jun. 2022. After the owner changed hands several times, the price of the painting jumped into the 100 million won range.
It was reported that the special counsel identified circumstances showing that the former prosecutor bought the painting in Jan. 2023 for about 140 million won. At the time, the former prosecutor was serving as head of Public Trial Division 2 at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office. The former prosecutor is said to have delivered the painting to Kim Jin-woo.
Meanwhile, Park Jeong-ho, a warrant-judge presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for the former prosecutor, who is accused of violating the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, at about 1:52 a.m. on the 18th, saying there was "a risk of evidence destruction."
By contrast, the former prosecutor was reported to have argued that he only purchased the painting on behalf of the first lady's older brother at his request and did not give it as a gift. He was also said to have stated that a nomination or personnel matter at the National Intelligence Service had no relation to the first lady's official duties and therefore could not constitute a violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.