▲ Former first lady Kim Keon Hee (C) is seated at a courtroom at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital in this file photo taken Sept. 24, 2025, to attend the first hearing of her corruption trial following her indictment on charges of stock manipulation, bribery and other corruption. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

special counsel-ex-first lady

Special counsel accuses ex-first lady of accepting additional luxury items

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- A comprehensive special counsel team said Monday it has found circumstantial evidence that former first lady Kim Keon Hee accepted additional luxury items in connection with the presidential residence relocation in 2022.

The team led by special counsel Kwon Chang-young launched in February to investigate allegations unresolved by three previous special counsel teams, including suspicions the former first lady used her influence to award the presidential residence renovation contract to 21 Gram, an interior design company without the proper license.

"In relation to the presidential residence renovation, we found specific circumstances that Kim Keon Hee received additional luxury items, and a search and seizure is under way at the (relevant) company office and the company head's home," assistant special counsel Kim Ji-mi said during a press briefing, without disclosing the alleged briber or other details.

The case centers on allegations that 21 Gram won the contract in May 2022 thanks to its ties to the former first lady even though a different company had been chosen shortly after her husband and former President Yoon Suk Yeol's election two months earlier.

21 Gram was previously involved in designing and constructing the office of a cultural content company headed by Kim Keon Hee and had sponsored some of its exhibitions.

The relocation and renovation of the presidential residence proceeded in tandem with the relocation of the presidential office in line with one of Yoon's campaign pledges.

Both Yoon and Kim are currently jailed, with the former president standing trial over his 2024 imposition of martial law and his wife standing trial on various corruption charges.

In one case, Kim has been indicted on charges of receiving 80 million won (US$53,000) worth of luxury goods from a Unification Church official in exchange for business favors.

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