The special counsel investigating Kim Keon-hee notified the first lady to appear at 10 a.m. on the 24th in connection with the "Van Cleef necklace allegation."
At a regular briefing on the 6th, the special counsel said, "In connection with allegations that a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace was received from SEOHEE CONSTRUCTION, we notified the first lady through the detention center today to appear before the special counsel for questioning on the morning of the 24th."
On Aug. 29, the special counsel indicted the first lady without detention on charges of violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (Deutsch Motors stock manipulation allegation), violating the Political Funds Act (Myung Tae-kyun nomination interference), and bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (alleged influence-peddling involving Geonjin Beopsa and the Unification Church), and has since focused on clarifying the bribery-for-appointment allegation.
The Van Cleef necklace allegation was not included in the charges at the time. In this inquiry, the special counsel plans to examine how the first lady came to receive jewelry such as the Van Cleef necklace from SEOHEE CONSTRUCTION. The necklace is the "Snowflake Pendant" released by Van Cleef & Arpels in 2015. It is known that the first lady wore it in June 2022 when she accompanied former President Yoon Suk-yeol on a NATO trip.
Earlier, from the outset, the special counsel investigated on the view that the first lady's side had not reported this necklace on the asset disclosure. The necklace found during a subsequent search and seizure was appraised as a counterfeit, and the first lady's side also claimed that a counterfeit had been purchased. However, in connection with former prosecutor Park Sung-geun's personnel solicitation, Seo Hee-gwan, chairperson of SEOHEE CONSTRUCTION, turned himself in and submitted another necklace in physical form to the special counsel. The special counsel believes this necklace was a genuine piece delivered to the first lady's side. Park, the chairperson's son-in-law and a former prosecutor, was appointed chief of staff to the prime minister in the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in 2022.
Separately, in connection with the "Myung Tae-kyun poll payment allegation," the special counsel plans to summon and question Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on the 8th.
An official from the special counsel team said that day, "Regarding the face-to-face confrontation between political broker Myung Tae-kyun and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, we will proceed with questioning of Mayor Oh even if a confrontation does not take place."
During the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, Mayor Oh is suspected of receiving 13 unpublished polls from Myung and having businessman Kim Han-jung pay 33 million won on his behalf in return. In connection with this, Mayor Oh was questioned by prosecutors on May 25. Mayor Oh was reported to have denied the allegations at the time.
Meanwhile, on the same day, former National Education Commission Chairperson Lee Bae-yong has been questioned as a reference witness since the morning in connection with the "golden turtle donation allegation." Lee is suspected of seeking favors by handing over a golden turtle and other items to the first lady's side early in the Yoon Suk-yeol presidency.