Expansion of Investigation into 'Gunjin Beopsa Gate', Prosecutors Raid Chanel Korea
The prosecution, investigating the 'Gunjin Beopsa Gate' suspicion, conducted a surprise raid on the luxury brand Chanel Korea.
This action was taken to locate the whereabouts of a Chanel bag allegedly given to Kim Geon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, by Jeon Seong-bae (65), a shaman known as Gunjin Beopsa, through a former high-ranking official of the Unification Church.
According to legal circles on the 16th, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutor's Office's Joint Investigation Unit for Virtual Asset Crimes (led by Chief Prosecutor Park Geon-wook) recently carried out a search and seizure operation at the residence of a person, identified as Mr. Jo, who was an administrative officer at the Second Office of the Presidential Office, as well as at the Chanel Korea office.

The prosecution is focusing on allegations that Mr. Yoon, who was referred to as the 'number two' in the Unification Church, provided luxury gifts, including the Chanel bag for Kim, to Jeon and made various requests.
This raid seems to be a follow-up action after the search and seizure conducted on the 30th of last month at Kim's residence in Seocho and the offices of Kobana Contents, as well as at the homes of two personal assistants from Kobana Contents.

At that time, it was reported that the warrant specifically outlined requests made by Mr. Yoon, including support for the Unification Church's development project on the Mekong River in Cambodia, the acquisition of YTN by the Unification Church, the hosting of the United Nations' Fifth Office in Korea, and invitations to the presidential inauguration ceremony.
The prosecution is investigating allegations that expensive Chanel bags and jewelry were delivered to Kim in exchange for these requests.

Difficulties in Securing Evidence Regarding the Requests
However, it has been reported that the prosecution has not yet secured a substantial amount of key evidence, such as necklaces.
In particular, while Kim's mobile phone has been secured, difficulties in digital forensics have arisen due to an inability to unlock the password.
As a result, the prosecution appears to aim to verify the purchase records and transaction details of the luxury bag through the raid on Chanel Korea.
Image source: Kim Geon-hee / News1, reference photos for understanding the article / News1, News1.