Special Investigation Team Raids Seo-Hee Construction Over 'NATO Necklace Allegation'
The Special Investigation Team led by Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki, which is investigating allegations related to Kim Geon-hee, has commenced a raid on the headquarters of Seo-Hee Construction.
On the 11th, the Special Investigation Team announced through a media statement that "we are conducting a search and seizure at Seo-Hee Construction in relation to the ongoing investigation."
This investigation is related to the so-called 'NATO necklace allegation.' The Special Investigation Team is not ruling out the possibility that Seo-Hee Construction may have attempted to solicit favors by presenting an expensive necklace to Mrs. Kim.
Controversy Over 'Counterfeit' Created Before Release
The necklace in question is a Van Cleef & Arpels piece that Mrs. Kim wore during her overseas trip to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in June 2022. Following allegations of omission in her asset declaration, Mrs. Kim stated, "It is a counterfeit gift I gave to my mother around 2010."
However, an appraisal of the necklace obtained during the raid on the residence of Mrs. Kim's brother-in-law confirmed that it was indeed a counterfeit, but the manufacturer, Van Cleef & Arpels, stated that this model was first released in 2015.
This raises concerns over the possibility of a 'switch' since a counterfeit could not have been produced five years prior to the genuine release.
Acquisition Records of Chairman’s Acquaintance and Confirmation of Personnel Transfer
To verify the possibility of quid pro quo, the Special Investigation Team has raided the Van Cleef & Arpels store, and it is reported that they have secured records showing that an associate of the Seo-Hee Construction chairman purchased the necklace model on March 9, 2022, immediately after the presidential election. This purchase was noted to be the only sale of that necklace model at the department store that year.
Additionally, it has been confirmed that the chairman’s son-in-law was appointed as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister just before former President Yoon’s overseas trip in June of the same year.
Based on these circumstances, the Special Investigation Team is investigating the likelihood that Seo-Hee Construction attempted to solicit favors by presenting the necklace.
After analyzing the materials obtained from this raid, they plan to summon the chairman of Seo-Hee Construction, the necklace purchaser, and the chairman's son-in-law in sequence.
Image Source: Kim Geon-hee / News1, JTBC
