Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, appeared before the special counsel on the 25th to be questioned as a suspect. It was the first summons since the special counsel detained Kim last 29th. The questioning took about 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Kim arrived at KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the special counsel's office is located, at about 9:49 a.m. The special counsel conducted the morning session from 10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. After a lunch break, the questioning continued from 1:30 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. Kim was said to have left the interrogation room at 2:30 p.m.
Kim is being questioned as a suspect on bribery charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. She is suspected of receiving a painting worth about 100 million won from former prosecutor Kim Sang-min.
The painting kickback allegation is that in January 2023, former prosecutor Kim Sang-min bought painter Lee Ufan's work "From Point No.800298" in cash for about 100 million won, handed it to Kim's older brother, Kim Jin-woo, and then sought a nomination in the 22nd general election last year and was appointed a legal special adviser to the National Intelligence Service. The special counsel suspects that Kim Jin-woo stored the painting at another location to conceal Kim's receipt of the painting.
Earlier, in late Jul., the special counsel found the painting while searching and seizing Kim Jin-woo's home. The painting was reportedly brought into Korea after a Korean national, a person surnamed Lee, bought it at a Taiwan auction in Jun. 2022 for about 30 million won. After changing hands several times, the price of the painting jumped to the 100 million won range.
The special counsel is said to have identified indications that in Jan. 2023 the former prosecutor purchased the painting for about 140 million won. At the time, the former prosecutor was serving as head of Trial Division 2 at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office. The former prosecutor is said to have delivered the painting to Kim Jin-woo.
Meanwhile, this round of questioning by the special counsel came about a month after Kim was detained and indicted last 29th. Kim was questioned once by the special counsel before being detained last 12th, and five times more up to the indictment.