Kim Gunhee at a Crossroads Over Detention... Silent at Warrant Hearing Appearance

Special Prosecutor Devotes Most of Detention Opinion to "Risk of Evidence Destruction"
Possibility of "Simultaneous Detention" of Former President and Spouse... Unprecedented in Constitutional History

Former President Yoon Sukyeol's wife Kim Gunhee is appearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 12th to attend the pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant review).
Photo by Yonhap News Joint Coverage Team

Kim Gunhee, who faces charges including stock price manipulation, now stands at a critical juncture regarding her possible detention. If a detention warrant is issued for Kim, it would mark the first time in the nation's constitutional history that both a former president and their spouse are detained simultaneously. Should Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team secure Kim's custody, they would gain investigative momentum; however, if they fail, they are likely to face backlash for having requested the warrant prematurely.

On the morning of the 12th at 10:10 a.m., Judge Jeong Jaewook, the Seoul Central District Court's judge in charge of warrants, will conduct the warrant review for Kim. Eight prosecutors from the special investigation team, including Deputy Chief Prosecutor Han Munhyeok, participated in the hearing, while Kim was represented by attorneys Yoo Jeonghwa, Chae Myeongseong, and Choi Jiwoo. The result of the warrant review is expected to be announced late at night on the same day or in the early hours of the following day.

Kim arrived at the court at approximately 9:26 a.m. on the same day, dressed in a black suit as she had during previous summons for questioning. When asked by reporters whether she had testified truthfully regarding luxury gifts, Kim remained silent, simply nodding once before proceeding into the courtroom.

The special prosecutor's team cited the following in their request for Kim's detention warrant: suspicions of stock price manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, allegations of involvement in Myung Taegyun's nomination process, and suspicions of solicitation involving Geonjinbeopsa. The charges specified include violations of the Capital Markets Act, violations of the Political Funds Act, and bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

The special prosecutor's team believes that Kim financed and participated in the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation scheme that occurred between 2009 and 2012, and that she intervened in the nomination process for the 2022 by-elections and parliamentary elections. They also allege that she received illicit solicitations from the Unification Church through Jeon Seongbae, also known as Geonjinbeopsa, in exchange for resolving certain issues.

The special prosecutor's team is expected to emphasize during the warrant review that there is a 'risk of evidence destruction,' as Kim has denied all charges despite being questioned on only three out of the sixteen allegations raised against her. Most of the 847-page detention opinion submitted to the court over two occasions was devoted to concerns about evidence destruction.

On the other hand, Kim's legal team is expected to highlight that she actively complied with the special prosecutor's summons and answered questions sincerely during the investigation, thereby arguing that there is no risk of evidence destruction or flight, and emphasizing the unjust nature of the warrant request.

This warrant review is likely to become a turning point for the ongoing investigation. If Kim is detained, investigations into the numerous unresolved allegations are expected to gain traction. However, if custody is not secured, the investigation team may be forced to focus on other allegations in which Kim's involvement is relatively minor.

If the court does not recognize the necessity of Kim's detention, she is expected to continue actively denying the charges, as she did during the initial investigation. In this case, the special prosecutor's team will inevitably face setbacks in the investigation, as they will need to secure 'decisive evidence' to counter Kim's defense strategy and substantiate the charges against her.

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