Seoul: A special counsel team executed raids on the national police agency and the residences and offices of both current and former lawmakers on Tuesday, as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption allegations tied to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, legal sources revealed. The investigation has cast a spotlight on potential political interference involving the former first lady, who is accused of influencing the selection of candidates for key parliamentary elections.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the special counsel's team announced that a search warrant was being executed at the Korean National Police Agency to gather pertinent materials with the cooperation of the agency. The operation is a critical component of special counsel Min Joong-ki's broader investigation into the alleged electoral meddling.
The team also conducted search and seizure operations at the office and residence of Yoon Sang-hyun, a representative from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in Seoul, as well as at the home of former PPP representative Kim Young-sun in Changwon, southeastern Korea. Additionally, former prosecutor Kim Sang-min's home was subject to investigation, highlighting the extensive reach of the probe.
The investigation focuses on accusations that the former first lady, married to ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, interfered in the PPP's candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and the upcoming 2024 general elections. Allegations have surfaced suggesting that the former president may have also been involved in the 2022 electoral processes.
A phone call allegedly recorded in May 2022 has emerged, in which former President Yoon purportedly advised power broker Myung Tae-kyun to instruct Rep. Yoon to secure Kim Young-sun's nomination for a district in the 2022 by-elections. Furthermore, for the 2024 general elections, the former first lady is suspected of attempting to position the former prosecutor as a nominee for the district previously occupied by Kim Young-sun.