Kim Sang-min, a former chief prosecutor, appeared for questioning at the office of the special prosecutor Min Jung-ki on September 9 at the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Kim, who is accused of obtaining a public office in exchange for delivering a painting by artist Lee Ufan to Madam Kim Kun-hee, argued in court that the painting is a forgery worth less than 1 million KRW, therefore not violating the Kim Young-ran Act.
The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 21, presided by Judge Lee Hyun-bok, held the second preparatory hearing on the 6th for Kim’s charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (Kim Young-ran Act) and the Political Funds Act. Despite not being required to attend, Kim appeared in a navy suit with a badge showing detention number 1880 on his left chest.
Kim is accused of purchasing Lee Ufan’s painting “From Point” and delivering it to Kim Jin-woo, the brother of Madam Kim, in February 2023. The special prosecutor team suspects that, in exchange for the painting, Madam Kim supported Kim’s nomination in last year’s general elections and, after he failed to secure the nomination, facilitated his appointment as a legal advisor to the National Intelligence Service.
During the hearing, the court reviewed the statement submitted by Kim’s defense, acknowledging that a third party was asked to deliver the painting to Kim Jin-woo but asserting that Kim merely brokered the purchase as an intermediary. The judge inquired about the motivation behind this brokerage, to which Kim’s lawyer responded that it was unrelated to any nomination or public office, describing it as personal support.
Further, Kim’s lawyer claimed the painting sent to Madam Kim was a forgery worth less than 1 million KRW, challenging the prosecution’s claim of 140 million KRW, hence arguing it’s not subject to the Kim Young-ran Act. The lawyer proposed a forensic examination of the painting to verify its authenticity. They also stated that the allegations related to nomination or public office have no direct correlation with the President’s duties or the position as a legal advisor to the National Intelligence Service.
Kim’s formal trial is scheduled for the 20th, where witnesses from the special prosecutor’s side involved in the artwork brokerage will testify.