On the 30th, the prosecution conducted a search of former President Yoon Suk-yeol's home in Seocho-dong, Seoul, in relation to the so-called "Geonjin Beopsasa" scandal. In response, a lawyer for former President Yoon noted, "The suspect in the search warrant for the violation of the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft is Jeon Seong-bae, and Kim Keon-hee is a reference person." There are also cases where an individual who was a reference person turns into a suspect after evidence is revealed during the search.
On that day, the Southern District Prosecutors' Office's joint investigation team for virtual asset crimes, led by Director General Park Geon-wook, searched former President Yoon's residence in relation to the case of Jeon Seong-bae, who is facing allegations of violating the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft.
While investigating the case involving Jeon, the prosecution is reportedly looking into evidence that a senior member of the Unification Church delivered a diamond necklace and an expensive bag to Jeon under the pretext of a gift for Kim Keon-hee.
Regarding this, Kim Gye-ri, legal representative for former President Yoon, stated on Facebook that there had been searches at Kim Keon-hee's residence, the office of Kobana Contents, and the residence of Kim Keon-hee's aide. He added, "Kim Keon-hee is not a suspect. The search is for a 'reference person.'"
According to Kim, the prosecution's search warrant indicates that "it has been alleged that suspect Jeon Seong-bae and one other person provided gifts to the spouse of a public official in connection with the duties of the public official from April to August 2022." Kim stated, "The date is unspecified, the location is unspecified, and none of the specifics regarding what was given, how it was given, or under what pretext it was provided have been clarified."
In addition, it is reported that the search warrant includes suspicious circumstances that state, "According to conversations between suspects and various media reports, there are circumstances that raise suspicion."
Kim said, "The search target includes records of mobile phone communications and app usage for deliveries." He further elaborated, "I asked whether that 'target' was Kim Keon-hee or the suspects, and they were inconsistent, first saying it was the search target, then a suspect, employing vague language even among themselves."
Kim noted that the prosecution did not provide a copy of the search warrant, citing that Kim Keon-hee is a reference person and not a suspect. The Criminal Procedure Act mandates that a copy of the search warrant be provided when searching suspects or defendants. Reference persons are not included in the recipients of the warrant.
Kim stated, "These (the prosecution) conducted a search targeting Kim Keon-hee as a reference person, merely presenting the warrant without providing a copy, and when I attempted to take notes, they refused, claiming it was not permitted by regulation." He continued, "What they took from the residence were the mobile phones of the targets and a few sheets of notepad paper," adding, "When I asked how the notes were related to the charges, they said it was an investigative matter, so they could not disclose anything."