Seoul: Jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee was set to appear for questioning by a special counsel team Monday for the second time, less than a week after her arrest over corruption allegations. The sessions will take place at 10 a.m. as special counsel Min Joong-ki has been investigating corruption allegations surrounding Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, including those in connection to Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of her family.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a shaman named Jeon Seong-bae is also set to appear for questioning on charges of delivering a diamond necklace and Chanel bags to the former first lady on behalf of the Unification Church between April and August 2022. He allegedly delivered requests for business favors from the church along with the luxury gifts.
With the three key figures appearing at the same time, the special counsel team may conduct a cross-examination if their testimonies are in conflict. It would mark the second questioning for the former first lady after her arrest last Tuesday and the first for Kim Ye-seong after a Seoul court issued his arrest warrant Friday over allegations of embezzling 3.38 billion won (US$2.4 million) from IMS Mobility, a company he has a stake in.
The former first lady was arrested on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through the shaman in exchange for business favors. During her first questioning after the arrest, she largely exercised her right to remain silent, with the session only lasting about two hours.
Min's team has also been investigating allegations that IMS Mobility unfairly received 18.4 billion won in investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility Corp., in 2023. Considering that IMS Mobility was effectively in a state of capital impairment at the time, special prosecutors suspect the companies made the investment in consideration of their connection to Kim and the former first lady.
They suspect that Kim funneled some of the investment into another company he effectively controlled. The special counsel team is also looking into allegations that the embezzled funds or other profits may have possibly been funneled to the former first lady's family.
Kim has denied serving as a "butler" for the former first lady's family and the former first lady's involvement in the investments in IMS Mobility. Jeon, the shaman, has also denied his allegation, saying he lost the necklace and luxury bags before he could deliver them to the former first lady.