Special Prosecutor Probes Kim Gunhee's "Van Cleef Necklace Allegation"... Raids Seohui Construction

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Kim Gunhee, who is suspected of being involved in stock manipulation related to Deutsch Motors, is appearing as a suspect at the Kim Gunhee Special Investigation Team set up in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 6th. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

With the warrant review for Kim Gunhee just one day away, Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team has conducted a search and seizure at Seohui Construction in connection with the so-called "NATO necklace allegation."

On the morning of August 11, the special investigation team announced, "We have begun a search and seizure at Seohui Construction in relation to the ongoing investigation."

The special investigation team is looking into allegations that Seohui Construction gave Kim Gunhee an expensive necklace as a gift while seeking a personnel favor.

Previously, in June 2022, Kim Gunhee wore a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace during an overseas trip to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting. The necklace was not included in her asset disclosure at the time, which led to controversy.

During the special investigation, Kim Gunhee reportedly stated that the necklace was an imitation she had given to her mother around 2010. Before summoning Kim Gunhee for questioning, the special investigation team conducted a search and seizure at the home of Kim Gunhee's brother's mother-in-law, where they secured the necklace. An appraisal later confirmed it was a counterfeit.

However, the situation changed dramatically when the special investigation team received a response from Van Cleef & Arpels stating that the necklace model in question was first released in 2015. The special investigation team concluded that it would have been impossible to obtain a counterfeit version five years before the genuine product was released. The team now suspects that Kim Gunhee may have swapped the product.

As a result, the special investigation team conducted a search and seizure at a Van Cleef & Arpels store. During this process, they reportedly obtained records showing that a close associate of the chairman of Seohui Construction purchased the same necklace model in March 2022, immediately after the presidential election. Subsequently, in June 2022, the chairman's eldest son-in-law was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister just before the overseas trip of former President Yoon Sukyeol and his wife. The special investigation team is investigating the possibility that Seohui Construction gave the necklace to Kim Gunhee as a gift in exchange for a personnel favor.

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