Special Counsel Team Led by Min Jung-ki Notifies Former President Yoon Seok-yeol of Summons on July 29, First Lady Kim Keon-hee on August 6.

The Special Counsel Team led by Min Jung-ki, which is investigating various allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee, has announced its plan to sequentially summon former President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee for questioning. Former President Yoon has been requested to appear on July 29, and First Lady Kim on August 6. Notably, First Lady Kim's summons lists a wide range of accusations, including Deutsche Motors and Sambu Construction stock manipulation, solicitations related to Geonjinbeopsa, and alleged interference in Myung Tae-gyun's nomination, drawing significant attention. Former President Yoon will also be investigated for alleged interference in Myung Tae-gyun's nomination, making him subject to a special counsel summons once again, following the previous sedition special counsel.

Stock Manipulation Allegations: First Lady Kim Keon-hee's Phone Recordings Are Key Evidence 

One of First Lady Kim's core accusations, the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegation, will be investigated based on new evidence secured through re-investigation by the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. In May, during a raid on Mirae Asset Securities, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office re-investigation team obtained hundreds of phone call recordings between the securities firm employee and First Lady Kim. These call recordings contain indications that First Lady Kim was aware of the stock manipulation, which is expected to be a significant turning point in the investigation. The Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case involved former Deutsche Motors Chairman Kwon Oh-soo and his accomplices artificially inflating stock prices by submitting false purchase orders or engaging in wash trades, mobilizing investment advisory firms from 2009 to 2012. First Lady Kim is suspected of either knowing that her accounts were used in this process and condoning it, or being directly involved.

The Sambu Construction stock manipulation allegation is also a key target of the special counsel's intensive investigation. The special counsel team has already summoned and arrested some current and former Sambu Construction executives, and based on this, they are focusing on identifying the involvement of "higher-ups," including First Lady Kim. The Sambu Construction case involves allegations that specific forces used undisclosed information to inflate stock prices and gain market profits, and whether First Lady Kim illegally intervened in this process is a key issue.

Geonjinbeopsa and Political Funds Act Violation Allegations: Focus on Ties with the Unification Church 

The core of the Geonjinbeopsa case is whether there were improper solicitations from the Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification). The special counsel team has uncovered evidence that Yoon Mo, a high-ranking Unification Church official, attempted to deliver two diamond necklaces worth 60 million won and two Chanel bags worth 10 million won to First Lady Kim through Geonjinbeopsa Jeon Seong-bae for Unification Church projects. Furthermore, evidence has been found that Unification Church President Han Hak-ja and others provided political funds (violating the Political Funds Act, etc.) while requesting direct or indirect support from the former presidential couple regarding various Unification Church projects and events. Geonjinbeopsa Jeon Seong-bae was a controversial figure who participated in former President Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign, and is suspected of interfering in politics as a shaman and exerting undue influence using his close relationship with First Lady Kim.

Myung Tae-gyun Nomination Interference Allegation: At the Center of Political Interference Controversy 

The Myung Tae-gyun nomination interference allegation primarily concerns former President Yoon and First Lady Kim allegedly receiving free opinion poll results multiple times from a certain Mr. Myung before the 20th presidential election in March 2022, and in return, interfering in the nomination of former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun in the June 2022 by-election (violation of the Public Official Election Act). The couple is also accused of interfering in the People Power Party nominations for the 2022 local elections (violation of the Public Official Election Act). Myung Tae-gyun was known as an opinion poll expert in the past, and the allegation that his opinion poll results influenced former President Yoon and First Lady Kim's election strategy, and that they interfered in nominations in return, has caused significant repercussions in political circles.

Additional Allegations and Investigation Outlook: Official Residence Relocation Benefits, Covana Contents Sponsorship, etc. 

Although not included in this summons, the official residence relocation preferential treatment allegation and the Covana Contents sponsorship allegation may also lead to further summonses and investigations as related investigations progress. The official residence relocation preferential treatment allegation concerns suspicions that preferential treatment was provided to a specific company through a sole-source contract during the process of relocating the presidential residence to Hannam-dong after former President Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration. The Covana Contents sponsorship allegation concerns suspicions that Covana Contents, a cultural and artistic planning company where First Lady Kim served as CEO, received improper sponsorship funds from several large corporations.

Special Counsel Spokesperson Moon Hong-joo hinted at the possibility of additional summonses during a regular briefing on the 21st, stating, "It's expected that one day will not be enough (for the investigation)." Regarding the appearance method of the former presidential couple, Special Counsel Moon stated, "I personally think it's right for them to enter through the same entrance as other defendants, just like the sedition special counsel team," suggesting the possibility of a public summons. First Lady Kim's legal team issued a statement on the same day, stating, "Our basic stance of faithfully cooperating remains unchanged," expressing their willingness to actively cooperate with the special counsel investigation.

As this special counsel investigation is an unprecedented inquiry targeting a former president and first lady, its outcome is expected to have a significant impact on Korean political history. The special counsel team plans to intensively ascertain the specific involvement and intervention of former President Yoon and First Lady Kim, their awareness of related circumstances, and whether they condoned them.