Special Prosecutor Summons Kim Jinwoo, First Lady Kim Gunhee's Brother, Over Lee Ufan Painting Allegations

Kim Sangmin: "Purchased the Painting at Kim Jinwoo's Request"
First Interrogation of Ministry of Land Official After Arrest in 'Yangpyeong Expressway' Case

The Min Junggi Special Prosecutor's Team, which is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Gunhee, summoned her older brother, Kim Jinwoo, for questioning on the morning of September 19. Kim Jinwoo is suspected of receiving an expensive painting from former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Sangmin.

Kim Jinwoo, the older brother of Mrs. Kim Gunhee, is seen leaving the office of the Min Junggi Special Prosecutor's Team, which is investigating allegations related to Mrs. Kim, located at the KT Gwanghwamun Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 31st. Photo by Yonhap News

The special prosecutor's team announced to the media that "Kim Jinwoo is being questioned this morning." Kim Jinwoo was also questioned by the team in July.

The decision to summon Kim Jinwoo follows the September 9 testimony of former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Sangmin, who is suspected of delivering a painting worth over 100 million won to the First Lady's side in exchange for a nomination request. During the investigation, Kim Sangmin stated that he purchased the painting at the request of the First Lady's brother. The special prosecutor's team notified Kim Jinwoo of the summons on September 11, but his legal counsel said he could not attend due to scheduling conflicts and did not appear.

The special prosecutor's team is expected to question Kim Jinwoo regarding allegations that he received a painting by artist Lee Ufan from former prosecutor Kim Sangmin.

In connection with these allegations, former prosecutor Kim Sangmin was arrested on bribery charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. He is accused of delivering Lee Ufan's painting, "From Point No. 800298," to Kim Jinwoo while requesting a nomination for the April 2024 general elections. The arrest warrant for Kim Sangmin lists the First Lady as the recipient of the painting.

First Interrogation After Arrest of Ministry of Land Official in Yangpyeong Expressway Allegations

Additionally, on the morning of September 19, the special prosecutor's team conducted the first interrogation of Kim, a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official who was in charge of practical matters at the time of the Yangpyeong Expressway route change allegations, after his arrest. The team announced that the interrogation of the detained official began at 10 a.m.

Previously, on September 17, Judge Nam Sejin of the Seoul Central District Court, who is in charge of warrants, issued an arrest warrant for Kim after a substantive review, as he is suspected of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Kim is suspected of receiving money from a businessman during the selection process for a construction company. During a recent search of Kim's residence as part of the ongoing investigation into the Yangpyeong Expressway route change allegations, the special prosecutor's team reportedly discovered bundles of cash worth several million won.

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, the team requested an arrest warrant for him on charges of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Kim, who is known to have proposed the route change to the expressway contractor, is considered a key figure in the Yangpyeong Expressway route change allegations. The special prosecutor's team is investigating suspicions that, during the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project, the terminus was changed to land owned by the First Lady's family, thereby granting them special favors.

The core of the allegations is that, during the tenure of former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Heeryong, there was consideration in May 2023 to change the original endpoint of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway from Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, to Gangsang-myeon, where the First Lady's family owns land. Kim Seongkyo, a People Power Party lawmaker and former Yangpyeong County Governor, is known to have requested the route change to the area where the First Lady's family land is located. After the controversy arose, former Minister Won canceled the project in July 2023.

Previously, the special prosecutor's team searched the parliamentary office of Assemblyman Kim, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's office, the Korea Expressway Corporation's design office, and the offices of Donghae Engineering Consultants and Kyungdong Engineering, which handled the project at the time, in connection with these allegations.

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