Kim Bong-hyun's driver "Asked about the Financial Supervisory Service investigation while talking with a Cheong administrative officer"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Testimony has emerged suggesting that former Star Mobility Chairman Kim Bong-hyun requested a favor from former Blue House administrative officer Kim regarding the Financial Supervisory Service's investigation.

On the 4th, Mr. A, who worked as Kim’s driver, appeared as a witness at Kim’s trial held by the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 13 (Presiding Judge Shin Hyuk-jae) and testified, "Around June 2019, I heard Kim on the phone in the car saying, 'Friend, I will make your younger brother a director at the company and ensure he receives a salary.'

He continued, "Kim Bong-hyun also inquired about the status of the Financial Supervisory Service’s investigation during the call," adding, "However, at that time, I did not know whether the person on the other end of the call was former administrative officer Kim." When asked by the defense if he guessed the call was with former administrative officer Kim based on media reports presented by the prosecution, he explained, "I realized it during the investigation as the call details came to mind; it was not a guess based on the articles."

Former administrative officer Kim was indicted on charges including providing inspection information related to Lime to Kim Bong-hyun in exchange for approximately 37 million KRW in money and gifts and appointing his younger brother as an outside director at Star Mobility, enabling him to receive about 19 million KRW. He was sentenced to four years in prison in the first trial. Investigations revealed that in August last year, he met with a Financial Supervisory Service employee responsible for the Lime inspection at a room salon in Gangnam, Seoul, received documents, and then passed them to Kim Bong-hyun, who was in the adjacent room.

At the trial, Mr. B, who worked as a senior investigator at the Financial Supervisory Service, also testified, "I drank alcohol with former administrative officer Kim at a room salon in Seoul while he was on dispatch to the Blue House," and "I heard from another employee that documents related to Lime Asset Management were delivered to former administrative officer Kim." He added, "I also heard that former administrative officer Kim confessed and admitted to all these facts."

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