Seoul: Former first lady Kim Keon Hee and her close associate, Kim Ye-seong, are scheduled to appear before a special counsel team for questioning on Monday. The simultaneous sessions, which will commence at 10 a.m., could potentially involve a cross-examination, as officials announced Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the special counsel, led by Min Joong-ki, is investigating corruption allegations linked to Kim Keon Hee. These include claims against Kim Ye-seong, who has been described as the "butler" of her family. This will be the former first lady's second round of questioning following her arrest last Tuesday. Kim Ye-seong, who was issued an arrest warrant by a Seoul court on Friday, is facing allegations of embezzling 3.38 billion won (US$2.4 million) from IMS Mobility, a company in which he holds a stake.
The investigation focuses on allegations that IMS Mobility secured 18.4 billion won in investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility Corp., in 2023, despite being in a state of capital impairment. Special prosecutors suspect these investments were made due to connections with Kim and the former first lady. There are also suspicions that Kim redirected some of the funds into another company under his control.
Further allegations suggest that the embezzled funds or other profits may have been channeled to the former first lady's family. Both Kim Ye-seong and the former first lady have denied these claims, with Kim Ye-seong rejecting the label of "butler" for the former first lady's family and denying any involvement in the investments into IMS Mobility.