Special counsel team summons ex-President Yoon and his wife as criminal suspects

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee leave the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan district, Seoul, on April 11. / Reporter Kwon Do-hyun

Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team, investigating allegations against former First Lady Kim Keon-hee, notified former President Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim on July 21 to appear as criminal suspects. As both are implicated in multiple cases, the investigation is unlikely to be concluded in a single session.

The special counsel team said, “Yoon has been summoned to appear at 10 a.m. on July 29 on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, while Kim has been asked to appear at 10 a.m. on August 6 to face allegations of violating the Capital Markets Act.” Yoon, who is currently detained, was served the summons through the warden of the Seoul Detention Center, and Kim received hers at her residence. The summons comes 19 days after the special counsel team officially launched its investigation on July 2.

The special counsel team plans to question the couple over alleged interference in candidate nominations connected to political broker Myung Tae-kyun. The couple is suspected of receiving polling data free of charge from Myung multiple times in the lead-up to the presidential election in March 2022. In return, they allegedly played a role in helping former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun receive a nomination in a parliamentary by-election that June. There are also indications they may have intervened in candidate nominations during local elections and the general elections held in April last year. During a search and seizure conducted on July 8 related to these nomination interference allegations, the special counsel team cited possible violations by the couple, including breach of the Political Funds Act, bribery, and obstruction of duty.

Kim is also expected to be questioned over stock manipulation allegations involving Deutsch Motors and Sambu Construction. Prior to the launch of the special counsel team, the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office reportedly secured new evidence, including audio recordings suggesting that Kim was aware of her associates’ stock manipulation activities. The special counsel team further expanded the investigation on July 18 by arresting Sambu Construction Chairman Lee Il-joon and former CEO Lee Eung-geun. In addition, Kim is under investigation over suspicions that she received multiple expensive gifts through shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as “Geon Jin,” an informal advisor linked to the Unification Church, in exchange for handling various civil requests.

The special counsel team said that public appearances are the general principle for when the former president and first lady attend questioning. While Yoon has so far refused to participate in both trials and investigations, it remains uncertain whether he will comply with the summons. Kim’s side, however, said on the 21st, “Our position remains unchanged. She intends to cooperate fully with the investigation.”

※This article was translated by an AI tool and edited by a professional translator.