"Investigation into Political Broker Myung Tae-kyun's Involvement… Requests for Inquiry This Week"
It has been confirmed that Kim Geon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, has received an official summons from the prosecution regarding the allegations of political broker Myung Tae-kyun's involvement in the nomination process. The investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office has notified Kim to appear in person for questioning this week.
According to the legal community, the dedicated investigation team for the Myung Tae-kyun allegations at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Ji-hyung) sent a summons to Kim on the 11th, requesting her appearance as a suspect under charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and the Political Fund Act.
Repeated verbal requests went unanswered… Prosecutors judge, "Further delays are not possible"
After receiving part of the case from the Changwon District Prosecutor's Office in February, the prosecution has conveyed several times the necessity for a face-to-face investigation, but Kim's side reportedly did not provide a specific response. Consequently, the prosecution interpreted that "there are no grounds to postpone the investigation any longer," and formally initiated the summons in accordance with principles.
The prosecutors have already completed investigations of relevant individuals and secured a significant amount of testimonies and physical evidence. With only Kim's personal testimony remaining, the belief that further delays could affect the fairness of the investigation seems to have influenced their decision.
Judging that political schedules will not be impacted… considering arrest warrants for noncompliance
Some speculate that, given the early presidential election climate is intensifying, the prosecution might have to delay the summons. However, it is reported that the prosecution believes there is little connection between political schedules and the investigation as both former President Yoon and Kim have lost their public positions.
If Kim responds to this summons request, it will be the first time she appears directly at the prosecutor's office for questioning. The face-to-face investigations related to suspicions over the acceptance of luxury handbags and stock price manipulation of Deutsche Motors last July took place at a separate government building managed by the Presidential Security Service, leading to controversies over 'privileged investigations.'
The legal community interprets that the necessity for investigations outside of the prosecutor's office has now disappeared. Nevertheless, if Kim refuses the summons again, the prosecution is preparing to issue another notification of summons and is considering the issuance of an arrest warrant if she does not comply without a valid reason.
Allegations ranging from the payment for opinion polls to interference in nominations… multiple charges
Kim is accused of exerting influence to have former lawmaker Kim Young-sun nominated in the Changwon I-chang constituency during the June 1 by-election in return for receiving an opinion poll from Myung Tae-kyun for free during the 20th presidential election in 2022.
In addition, there are multiple indications of interference in nominations, including the nomination of the People Power Party's candidate for Pohang Mayor in the same year's local elections and coordination for the candidacy of former prosecutor Kim Sang-min ahead of last year's general election. The prosecution is preparing for the possibility that the investigation of Kim may not conclude in a single day.
Simultaneous securing of seized materials… further analysis of mobile phone and notebooks
The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office has recently continued its joint investigation with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, which has reportedly handed over some seized materials including Kim's mobile phone and notebooks obtained during the search of former President Yoon’s residence in Seocho-dong on the 30th of last month.
The prosecution plans to conduct full-scale questioning of Kim based on the acquired evidence and testimonies. The direction of the investigation is expected to be significantly influenced by Kim's response to the summons and her attitude during the questioning.
Image sources: Kim Geon-hee / News1, News1, Myung Tae-kyun / News1
