On the 15th, Special Prosecutor Kim Keon-hee announced, "An arrest warrant has been requested for Kim Ye-sung, who is the housekeeper of Kim Keon-hee." Kim is said to be a person with close ties to Mrs. Kim and her mother, Choi Eun-soon, and has been referred to as a "housekeeper" by some. Kim has not returned since departing for Vietnam in April.
On the same day, Special Prosecutor Moon Hong-joo stated during a media briefing, "It has been confirmed that Kim departed for Vietnam in April in connection with what is commonly referred to as the housekeeper gate, and that his children also left on July 1." He also noted, "Since the start of the special investigation, neither he nor his wife has contacted the special prosecutor. Therefore, we have concluded that there is no intention of voluntary return and have proceeded with the invalidation of his passport and requested an arrest warrant today."
The special prosecutor is examining the circumstances surrounding the investment of 18.4 billion won in 2023 by Kakao, HS HYOSUNG affiliates, Korea Securities Finance, and Kiwoom Securities in the loss-making rental car company operated by Kim.
At that time, these corporations had legal risks as they were under investigation by the prosecution. There are allegations that Kim was expected to resolve these risks by leveraging his connections with Mrs. Kim for investments. Kim's company was also listed as an investor in the exhibition planning company Kobana Contents, which is operated by Mrs. Kim.
It is reported that Kim met Mrs. Kim while attending the MBA program at Seoul National University in 2010. He served as an auditor for Kobana Contents from 2012 to 2015. In 2013, he provided a false balance certificate to a financial institution when Mrs. Kim's mother, Choi Eun-soon, purchased real estate under a borrowed name. He was prosecuted for this incident and received a six-month prison sentence with a two-year suspended sentence.
Previously, the special prosecutor requested a search warrant for the residence of individuals related to the housekeeper gate, but the court denied the request on the 9th. The court reportedly dismissed it on the grounds that the housekeeper gate was not included in the scope of this special investigation. In response, Prosecutor Moon said, "There must have been a special reason for large corporations to invest such significant amounts of money." He added, "We hope that the court will grant us the opportunity to investigate and that the request for an arrest warrant is part of the process to seek the court's understanding."