Kim Keonhee Special Counsel Arrests Land Ministry Official over Alleged Yangpyeong Expressway Route Change

Kim, an official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the time, has been arrested in connection with the "Yangpyeong Expressway route change allegations," which are a key focus of the special prosecutor Min Jungki's investigation team.

On September 17, Nam Sejin, chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a pre-arrest interrogation (warrant review) and issued an arrest warrant for Kim, as requested by the special prosecutor’s team on charges of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Judge Nam explained the reason for issuing the warrant, stating, "There is a risk of flight."

Kim is suspected of receiving money from a businessman during the process of selecting a construction company for the project. It has been reported that, during a recent search and seizure of Kim’s residence as part of the investigation into the Yangpyeong Expressway route change allegations, the special prosecutor’s team discovered bundles of cash worth several million won.

The special prosecutor’s team first sent investigators to Kim’s residence on July 14 to secure relevant materials. After identifying additional suspicions, they conducted a second search and seizure, during which they reportedly secured further evidence.

Viewing this as evidence of another crime, the special prosecutor’s team launched a separate investigation and found that Kim had received approximately 30 million won. On September 15, they applied for an arrest warrant on charges of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. With Kim now in custody, the special prosecutor’s investigation into the Yangpyeong Expressway route change allegations is expected to accelerate.

The allegations center on claims that, in 2023, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport changed the planned endpoint of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway to an area where First Lady Kim Keonhee’s family owns land, thereby providing them with special benefits.

The original endpoint in Yangseo-myeon had passed a preliminary feasibility study in 2021, but suspicions arose when, in May 2023, the ministry reviewed a new endpoint in Gangsang-myeon, where Mrs. Kim’s family owns land. As the controversy grew, then-Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Heeryong announced the cancellation of the project in July of that year.

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