Seoul: A Seoul court was set to decide Friday whether to issue an arrest warrant for an associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee on charges of embezzlement.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court will convene a hearing at 2 p.m. to review whether to formally arrest Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of the former first lady's family, on charges of embezzling 3.38 billion won (US$2.43 million) from his company.
A special counsel team requested the arrest warrant Thursday, two days after he was detained by investigators upon returning from Vietnam in what they believe was an attempt to flee following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee's husband.
Kim Ye-seong is suspected of receiving 18.4 billion won in illegal investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility Corp., for IMS Mobility, a company he helped establish, in 2023. Considering that IMS Mobility was effectively in a state of capital impairment at the time of the investments, the special prosecutors suspect the companies invested in IMS Mobility in consideration of its connection to Kim and the former first lady.
The special counsel team, however, sought the warrant on a separate charge involving embezzlement. Kim has denied any wrongdoing and described the special counsel's investigation as a "witch hunt." He has been closely associated with the former first lady for over a decade and is believed to have extensive knowledge of the family's financial matters.