The special counsel investigating Kim Keon-hee on the 2nd indicted and detained People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong on charges of receiving about 100 million won in illegal political funds from a Unification Church official. The special counsel also indicted and detained former prosecutor Kim Sang-min on charges of handing over paintings to the side of Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, in order to secure a nomination for a National Assembly election.
In a notice sent to the press corps that day, the special counsel said, "We indicted and detained Rep. Kweon on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, and former prosecutor Kim on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act."
The special counsel believes that on Jan. 5, 2022, Rep. Kweon received 100 million won in cash as political funds (violation of the Political Funds Act) from former Unification Church World Headquarters Deputy Minister Yoon Young-ho. At the time, Rep. Kweon was found to have received a proposal from the former Deputy Minister along the lines of "We hope presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol will attend a Unification Church event in Feb. 2022. If you later support the policies and events of the Unification Church, we will help with the presidential election by using the votes of Unification Church believers and the church's organization."
Meanwhile, the special counsel said that regarding the allegation that Rep. Kweon received political funds, the court granted the request to preserve Rep. Kweon's assets for forfeiture. Asset preservation for forfeiture means freezing property suspected to be crime proceeds until a conviction is finalized so it cannot be disposed of arbitrarily.
The special counsel also believes that around Feb. 2023, former prosecutor Kim provided paintings worth about 140 million won (violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act) to Kim Keon-hee in connection with duties such as Yoon Suk-yeol's public personnel appointments and election nominations. In addition, former prosecutor Kim was found to have received, around Dec. 2023, from a person identified as A, whom he knew socially, the upfront lease payment and insurance premiums for a Carnival van, totaling about 42 million won, free of charge for political activities (violation of the Political Funds Act).
Meanwhile, the special counsel said it indicted and detained a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport assistant director, a person surnamed Kim, on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery) in connection with the "allegation of changing the terminus of the Yangpyeong Expressway."
The special counsel believes that from Jun. 2023 to Sep. 2024, Assistant Director Kim received 35 million won in cash and 1 million won in gift certificates from a contractor in connection with duties such as selecting construction methods for road projects commissioned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The allegation over the change of the Yangpyeong Expressway terminus is that in May 2023, after the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the terminus was changed from Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, to Gangsang-myeon, Yangpyeong County, where land owned by Kim's family is concentrated, thereby giving preferential treatment to Kim's family.