Prosecutors Finally Clear Kim Keon-hee of 'Kobana Sponsorship Allegations'

The prosecution has concluded with a final decision of no charges regarding the suspicion of 'large corporation sponsorship' involving Kobana Contents, an exhibition planning company operated by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol.

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-chul) announced on the 2nd that the remaining two cases related to Kim's Kobana Contents, suspected of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, were also dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

First Lady Kim Geon-hee [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kobana Contents organized the 'Alberto Giacometti Exhibition' in 2018 and the 'Fauvist Masterpieces Exhibition' in 2019. Ten and seventeen large corporations sponsored these exhibitions, respectively. In 2018, President Yoon was serving as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and around the time Kobana Contents organized the Fauvist Masterpieces Exhibition, he was nominated as Prosecutor General.

This raised suspicions that large corporations might have massively sponsored Kobana Contents in connection with President Yoon's official duties.

However, after written investigations of Kim and interviews with Kobana Contents employees and representatives of the large corporations, the prosecution judged that it was difficult to confirm any violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. A related official stated, "We conducted all necessary investigations on each issue regarding the raised suspicions and reached a conclusion."

In December 2021, the prosecution had already dismissed charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act related to the 'Le Corbusier Exhibition, Father of Modern Architecture,' held at the Seoul Arts Center from December 2016 to March 2017 by Kobana Contents. This exhibition was sponsored by 23 companies, including Deutsche Motors.

With this, Kim has been cleared of all charges related to sponsorships of Kobana Contents. Only the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation suspicion remains. The prosecution continues to investigate allegations that Kim played the role of a so-called 'frontman' who financed the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.