The side of first lady Kim Keon-hee, who has been indicted on charges of receiving requests for personnel appointments and business favors along with high-priced precious metals, was recently found to have paid the remaining balance of about 29 million won to the businessman who delivered the Vacheron Constantin watch.
According to legal sources on the 25th, Kim's side transferred about 29 million won to robot-dog businessman Seo Seong-bin earlier this month and submitted the remittance records to the Criminal Agreement Division 21 of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Jo Soon-pyo), which is handling the case involving alleged violations of the anti-graft law.
Kim is on trial on charges of receiving a watch worth 39.9 million won from Seo in Sept. 2022 along with a request for business support. Kim and Seo's sides say it was a proxy purchase of a watch and there was no solicitation, but the special counsel team of Min Joong-ki on the 13th said, "It is hard to accept the claim that it was a simple proxy purchase," and sought a sentence of one year and six months in prison.
Seo bought the watch for about 34 million won and delivered it, and Kim earlier testified during questioning that she had paid 5 million won to Seo as a down payment. Regarding the belated payment of the balance, Kim's attorney explained, "It was forgotten due to various issues including mental health."
Some observers say this move was made with an eye to leniency and other mitigating factors ahead of the ruling on Kim's alleged "sale of offices" set for the 26th of next month.
At the sentencing hearing on the 15th, Min Joong-ki's special counsel team sought a sentence of seven years and six months in prison for Kim. The team has also asked the court to confiscate the Dior bag, gold turtle, and Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, and to order forfeiture of about 56.3 million won equivalent to the Vacheron Constantin watch and Graff earrings.