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Prosecutors receive former first lady's mobile phone in renewed Deutsch Motors probe

Published: 21 May. 2025, 22:25

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee [YONHAP]

Prosecutors have obtained the mobile phone of former first lady Kim Keon Hee as part of a renewed investigation into her alleged involvement in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case. This marks the first time prosecutors have executed a search and seizure related to Kim in the case.

According to legal insiders on Wednesday, the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office recently executed a warrant to seize Kim’s phone, which was secured by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office during a separate investigation into influence peddling allegations involving shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as “Geonjin.”

Kim is suspected of acting as a “financial backer” for a stock manipulation scheme allegedly orchestrated by Kwon Oh-soo, a former chairman of Deutsch Motors, and others between 2009 and 2012. Prosecutors believe she may have funded the operation and benefited from the profits.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office previously investigated Kim for over four years but closed the case last October without pressing charges, citing a lack of evidence that she knowingly participated in or aided the scheme. While her accounts were used, prosecutors said there was insufficient proof that she was aware of or involved in stock price rigging. No search and seizure was ever carried out regarding this case.

The Democratic Party criticized the decision as preferential treatment and moved to impeach Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Chief Lee Chang-soo. The Constitutional Court unanimously rejected the motion in March but questioned whether prosecutors had properly directed the investigation and gathered sufficient evidence.

On April 25, the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office reopened the case and formed a new investigation team. Authorities are now analyzing Kim’s phone to determine whether it contains evidence suggesting her knowledge of or involvement in the scheme.

However, given that the alleged events occurred more than a decade ago, whether the device contains any meaningful data remains unclear. Reports suggest that investigators have so far been unable to unlock the phone.

The investigation is part of a broader prosecutorial effort into allegations against Kim following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office is separately looking into claims that Kim received a luxury Chanel bag from a Unification Church associate via Jeon.

Meanwhile, a special team under the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is investigating allegations that Kim meddled in the candidate nomination process for the People Power Party during past parliamentary and local elections. The team reportedly received some of the seized materials, including Kim’s phone, from the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]