It has been reported that Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former president Yoon Suk-yeol, has appointed a lawyer and is coordinating schedules for questioning with the prosecution. According to legal circles on the 23rd, Kim’s legal representative submitted a letter of attorney to the prosecution the previous day. Kim is under suspicion of election interference during the last presidential election for allegedly receiving advance results of a public opinion poll from Mr. Myeong Tae-kyun and in return for paying the costs, assisting former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun’s nomination. This led to her being accused in October last year.
Previously, a dedicated investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, investigating the allegations regarding Mr. Myeong, reportedly conveyed their need for a face-to-face investigation with Kim earlier this year. At the time, Kim’s side did not respond to whether she would attend, citing the ongoing impeachment proceedings of former President Yoon.
A recorded phone call released by the Democratic Party indicated that on May 9, 2022, the day before Yoon’s presidential inauguration, he allegedly told Myeong, “I worked hard for Kim Young-sun since the primaries, so do something for Kim Young-sun, but there is talk within the party.” This date was also the day before the People Power Party’s announcement of by-election nominations.
In another phone call obtained by a media outlet, Kim reportedly told Myeong on the same day, “The president-elect (Yoon) just called, but anyway, don’t use the president-elect’s name, just support (Kim former lawmaker).”
Meanwhile, Kim is also under suspicion of attempting to intervene in the April 10 general election nomination process last year. Myeong claims that on February 18 last year, Kim proposed to former lawmaker Kim Young-sun that if he supported former prosecutor Kim Sang-min in winning the election for the Changwon Uichang constituency in Gyeongnam, a ministerial or public enterprise CEO position would be offered post-election.