Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Oh-jin, the key defendant sent to trial over alleged favoritism in the presidential residence transfer, will stand trial without detention. Bail was also granted for Hwang, a former presidential office administrative official who was indicted together.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 24 (Chief Judge Lee Young-seon) on the 20th granted the bail requests of former Vice Minister Kim and Hwang, who were indicted on charges including abuse of authority to interfere with the exercise of rights. As bail conditions, the court ordered a 100 million won bond, electronic monitoring, residence restrictions, and submission of a pledge not to leave the country without court approval. Former Vice Minister Kim applied for bail on the 10th of last month, and Hwang on the 3rd.
Former Vice Minister Kim and Hwang were indicted and detained on Dec. 26 last year on charges of being involved, right after Yoon Suk-yeol was elected president, in allowing the interior firm 21gram, which did not hold a general construction license, to take on the presidential residence transfer and expansion project. The special counsel says they abused their authority to have the government sign a contract with 21gram, which lacked eligibility for the project, and drafted and used false official documents to make it appear the work proceeded lawfully.
The special counsel also brought charges of involvement in lending a construction company's name to 21gram in the process, and of embezzling about 1.6 billion won in government funds through an additional construction contract. 21gram CEO Kim Tae-young was also sent to trial on charges including violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud), but is being tried without detention.
At the heart of the case is how a firm without construction qualifications won the presidential residence contract and whether there were violations of national contracting procedures or the provision of special favors in the process. The special counsel suspects 21gram improperly secured the presidential residence transfer and expansion work based on its relationship with Kim Keon-hee. 21gram previously sponsored a Covana Contents exhibition and is known to have been involved in the design and construction of the Covana Contents office.
Former Vice Minister Kim oversaw the working-level presidential residence transfer, serving as head of Subcommittee 1 of the Presidential Transition Committee's Cheong Wa Dae Transfer TF for the 20th president and later as the presidential office's administrative officer for facilities management. Hwang worked at the time as staff on Subcommittee 1 of the transition team's Cheong Wa Dae Transfer TF. The two, who were detained in December last year, were released on bail after about three months and will continue standing trial.