▲ Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been indicted following additional investigations regarding the allegations that his wife, Kim Keon-hee, accepted luxury bags.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 (led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Jin-yong) announced today (September 17) that it has indicted former President Yoon on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
Yoon is accused of failing to fulfill his duty to report under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act even after learning that Kim Keon-hee received expensive bags.
Kim Keon-hee received a Dior bag valued at approximately 3 million won, a Chanel cosmetics set valued at approximately 1.79 million won, and liquor valued at approximately 400,000 won from Reverend Choi Jae-young between June and September 2022.
In October 2024, prosecutors decided not to indict Kim Keon-hee, concluding that the items she received had no connection to her duties and no quid pro quo nature, and that former President Yoon had no obligation to report them under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
Subsequently, the independent counsel team reinvestigated the case, and the National Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters for Transferred Cases from the Three Special Counsels forwarded former President Yoon to the prosecution last June.
The prosecution explained, "We comprehensively re-examined the court testimony of Choi Jae-young, who provided the bag, and the fact that the court handling Kim Keon-hee's mediation of influence case acknowledged the connection to official duties in June of this year."
They added, "It is recognized that the luxury bags received by the spouse of suspect Yoon Suk-yeol are related to official duties under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and that suspect Yoon Suk-yeol failed to fulfill his reporting obligation despite being aware of this fact, leading to his indictment without detention."
Meanwhile, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Public Investigation Division 2 (led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyung-won) decided not to indict former President Yoon on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act (publication of false information), concluding the charges were not established.
Yoon had been accused of publishing false information by stating regarding Kim Keon-hee's stock transactions that he had entrusted stock trading to a specific person, suffered losses, and subsequently cut ties.
The prosecution explained the background of the decision, stating, "Most of the events occurred before the suspect's (Yoon's) marriage, and there is insufficient evidence to prove that the suspect directly experienced the facts or verified related materials."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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