Ryu Geung-sun, the CEO of Kakao Mobility, appeared at the Kim Keon-hee Special Investigation Unit on the morning of the 21st to be investigated regarding the allegations involving 'Kim Ye-sung.'
The special investigation unit summoned Ryu as a witness in relation to the alleged case around 10 a.m. that day.
Mr. Kim is a close associate of Kim Keon-hee and her mother, Choi Eun-soon, and is referred to as a 'butler.' The special investigation team is investigating the circumstances of Kim's rental car company, IMS Mobility (formerly BeMyCar), which received an investment of 18.4 billion won from large corporations and financial institutions in 2023. The invested companies include subsidiaries of HS HYOSUNG, Kakao Mobility, Korea Securities Finance, and Kiwoom Securities.
The investing corporations faced risks, as they came under investigation by the prosecution. In this context, allegations have been raised that Kim was expected to resolve the risks by leveraging his relationship with Kim Keon-hee. Kim's company has also been named as an investor in the exhibition planning company, Kobana Contents, operated by Kim Keon-hee.
Lee Jong-ho, the former CEO of Black Pearl Investment, was also confirmed to have appeared at the special investigation unit as a suspect around 10 a.m. that day. The former CEO played a 'control tower' role in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, which is a key target of the special investigation.
The former CEO also appears in various allegations, including stock manipulation at SAMBU Construction, suspected to be backed by Kim Keon-hee, and lobbying for the exoneration of Im Seong-geun and Jo Byeong-no.
As a close aide to Kim Keon-hee, he has been charged with participating in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation that occurred between 2009 and 2012, along with eight others, including former Deutsche Motors Chairman Kwon Oh-soo, and has received a suspended prison sentence from the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Jo Hyun-sang, Vice Chairman of HS HYOSUNG, did not attend the scheduled summoning investigation that day. HS HYOSUNG stated, 'We are adjusting attendance schedules due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit schedule,' adding, 'Attendance today is not possible due to overseas commitments.'