On the 17th, the Kim Keon-hee special investigative team announced that Ms. Kim Ye-seong, identified as the 'housekeeper' of Kim Keon-hee, is currently evading prosecution abroad, and procedures for a red notice have been initiated.
During a regular media briefing that day, Special Prosecutor Moon Hong-joo said, "Yesterday we obtained a warrant for Kim and immediately issued a wanted notice, and today we initiated procedures to invalidate the passport through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to issue a red notice via the Korean National Police Agency."
Moon continued, "It appears that Kim has fled to a third country from Vietnam, and I urge her to return immediately and cooperate with the investigation. I also call on her companion, who seems to be currently hiding in Gangnam due to the travel ban, to reveal her whereabouts and contact information to the special investigation team and volunteer to be investigated."
Kim is reportedly a confidant and housekeeper of Kim Keon-hee and her mother, Choi Eun-soon. The special investigation team is looking into the background of 18.4 billion won invested in Kim's rental car company IMS Mobility (formerly Be My Car) by large corporations and financial companies in 2023. Companies that invested include HS HYOSUNG, Kakao, Korea Securities Finance, and Kiwoom Securities.
The investing corporations faced risks as they came under investigation by the prosecution. Allegations have arisen that Kim expected to resolve these risks by leveraging her ties to Kim Keon-hee. Her company was also listed as an investor in the exhibition planning company Kobana Contents, which is operated by Kim Keon-hee.
Kim was reportedly acquainted with Kim Keon-hee while attending the Graduate School of Business at Seoul National University from 2010. Kim served as the auditor for Kobana Contents from 2012 to 2015.
Additionally, the special investigation team stated that Lee Gi-hoon, chairman of SAMBU Construction and Well Biotec, who has been requested for a warrant on charges of stock manipulation, did not appear for the pre-warrant hearing (substantive examination) scheduled for that afternoon.
Moon said, "The substantive examination of the warrant for Lee Gi-hoon, chairman of Well Biotec, was scheduled for 2:10 p.m. today, but it appears he did not attend. We believe he has fled," and added, "We currently assess that he has escaped. His lawyer also claims not to know his whereabouts, and if a sudden incident had occurred, it would have been reported to the court."
Moon remarked, "The determination regarding the escape will be made by the court, and if a person does not appear for the substantive examination, the records will be forwarded to the court, which I understand will decide on the issuance of the warrant based solely on those records. I believe warrants are likely to be issued in cases where a person does not appear due to concerns about flight."
Earlier, the Kim Keon-hee special investigation team applied for arrest warrants for Lee Il-joon, current chairman of SAMBU Construction, Jo Seong-ok, former chairman of SAMBU Construction, Lee Gi-hoon, current vice chairman of SAMBU Construction and chairman of Well Biotec, and Lee Eung-geun, former representative director of SAMBU Construction regarding allegations of stock manipulation. This was the first request for an arrest warrant since the special investigation team's investigation commenced on the 3rd.
They are accused of deceiving investors by making it seem as though SAMBU Construction would actively pursue reconstruction projects in Ukraine during May and June 2023, thus inflating stock prices and reaping illegal profits. Among them, the vice chairman is noted as a key figure who planned the Ukraine reconstruction forum, while the former representative director was reportedly in charge of signing business agreements between SAMBU Construction and overseas companies.
The chief judge of the Seoul Central District Court, Lee Jeong-jae, conducted the warrant hearing for Lee Il-joon, chairman of SAMBU Construction, starting at 10:30 a.m. that day. He was scheduled to proceed with the hearings sequentially for Lee Gi-hoon, chairman of SAMBU Construction and Well Biotec at 2:10 p.m., Jo, the former chairman, at 3:30 p.m., and Lee Eung-geun, the former representative director, at 5 p.m.