Kim Kunhee Special Prosecutor Raids Rebellion Special Prosecutor Team to Secure 'Kim Kunhee-Park Sungjae Messages'

To Secure Evidence in the Investigation Suppression Allegations
Ministry of Land Official Seconded to Yoon Transition Team Questioned Over Yangpyeong Expressway Suspicion

The special prosecutor team led by Min Junggi, which is investigating various allegations against First Lady Kim Keonhee, conducted a search and seizure of the National Rebellion Special Prosecutor’s team (Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok). This was to investigate allegations that Kim contacted former Minister of Justice Park Sungjae in an attempt to have the prosecution’s investigation into herself dropped.

Former Minister of Justice Sungjae Park is appearing at the Seoul Central District Court on the 13th for a detention warrant hearing. 2025.11.13 Photo by Dongju Yoon

On December 2, the special prosecutor’s team announced that investigators had visited the National Rebellion Special Prosecutor’s team at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, Seoul, from the morning to secure investigative materials.

The special prosecutor’s team is understood to have recently obtained Telegram chat records between Kim and former Minister Park. According to these records, in May of last year, Kim reportedly sent messages to Park such as, “How is my investigation (the luxury handbag bribery case) going?” and “Why are the investigations into Kim Hye-kyung and Kim Jung-sook not progressing well?”

In connection with this case, the National Rebellion Special Prosecutor’s team has begun the process of indicting former Minister Park, while the special prosecutor’s team investigating Kim Keonhee is expected to continue its investigation into the First Lady.

Additionally, the special prosecutor’s team is currently questioning an executive from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in connection with allegations of route changes for the Yangpyeong Expressway. The team stated, “From 10 a.m. today, we have summoned Mr. Kim, a director at the Ministry of Land, as a suspect for questioning regarding the allegations of changes to the Yangpyeong Expressway’s terminus.” This official had previously been seconded to the Presidential Transition Committee of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Previously, on October 16, the special prosecutor’s team sent investigators to the main office of the Ministry of Land at the Government Complex Sejong to conduct a search and seizure of Mr. Kim’s current and former workplaces and residences. Mr. Kim had been seconded to the Presidential Transition Committee of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The special prosecutor’s team suspects that, around March 2022, the transition committee instructed Mr. Kim to review an alternative route for the Yangpyeong Expressway project that would include land owned by Kim Keonhee’s family.

The allegations concerning the Yangpyeong Expressway route change center on claims that, during the tenure of former Minister Won Heeryong, the Ministry of Land promoted the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project and changed the terminus route to pass through land owned by Kim’s family, thereby granting them preferential treatment. Assemblyman Kim Seongyo is known to have requested the route change to the area where Kim’s family’s land is located.

The original route, terminating in Yangseo-myeon, passed the preliminary feasibility study in 2021. However, in May 2023, the Ministry of Land suddenly began reviewing a terminus route in Gangsang-myeon, where Kim’s family owns land, which sparked controversy. As the controversy escalated, former Minister Won abruptly announced the cancellation of the project in July of that year.

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