▲ Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the main opposition People Power Party (Yonhap)

special counsel-lawmaker

Special counsel raids PPP lawmaker's home, office over presidential residence relocation

SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- The second comprehensive special counsel team raided the home and office of Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the main opposition People Power Party on Monday over alleged favoritism surrounding the relocation of the presidential residence about four years ago.

Investigators from the team began a search of the lawmaker's home and office in the morning to secure materials related to the presidential residence relocation and renovation in 2022.

The raid is the first compulsory investigation by the second special counsel team, which launched last month to investigate 17 allegations that the three previous special counsel teams could not resolve.

The charge of abuse of power was reportedly applied in the search and seizure warrant for Rep. Yoon.

A previous special counsel team said the lawmaker was involved in the alleged favoritism while serving as the head of a task force on the presidential residence relocation, though it did not indict him due to insufficient investigation time.

The controversy began when 21 Gram, an interior design company without a general construction license, was improperly chosen for the presidential residence's relocation and renovation work, following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's election victory in March 2022.

The previous special counsel team suspected that former first lady Kim Keon Hee exerted influence in favor of 21 Gram. Former Vice Land Minister Kim Oh-jin and a former presidential secretary, surnamed Hwang, were indicted by the previous special counsel team last December on abuse of power and other charges in connection with the case.

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