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Yangpyeong official's suspected suicide sparks allegations of abuse by special counsel investigating ex-first lady's family

Published: 12 Oct. 2025, 17:44

People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog holds a press conference at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Oct. 12. [YONHAP]

A public official from Yangpyeong County who was questioned by the special counsel investigating former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s family was found dead, growing criticism for Special Counsel Min Joong-ki’s team.

The People Power Party (PPP) has accused the special counsel of coercive interrogation, while the deceased official’s family is preparing legal action. The special counsel’s office has remained silent since issuing a statement two days ago.

The official, a 57-year-old county employee, was summoned on Oct. 2 as part of the investigation into allegations that Kim’s family received an unfair exemption from development fees in the Gongheung District project in Yangpyeong in 2016.

The official left behind a note and a will stating that they were “exhausted and distressed by continued pressure and coercion,” and were found dead at home on Friday.

PPP slams ‘coerced testimony’

“The special counsel forced the deceased to give distorted testimony to fit a predetermined conclusion,” said PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog during a press briefing Sunday.

“This monstrous special counsel inflicted lawful violence on a citizen under the state’s protection and drove them to death,” he added. Song also criticized reports that investigators raided the postpartum care center of a female Land Ministry official, calling it “an atrocity disguised as an investigation and violence masked as legality.”

The former first lady’s legal team also joined in the criticism. Choi Ji-woo, Kim’s defense attorney, wrote on Facebook that “one of the special counsel’s prosecutors prevented me from sitting next to my client” and that when he objected to the questioning style, “the prosecutor shouted, ‘Counsel, stay quiet,’ effectively silencing my objection.” He added that “such conduct by the special counsel raises serious doubts about the possibility of coercive investigation.”

Attorney Yu Jeong-hwa echoed the criticism, saying that if the special counsel “pressed and coerced individuals for political purposes, driving a public servant to death, that would not be an investigation — it would be political retaliation.”

The Gongheung-ri neighborhood in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi [SON SUNG-BAE]

Special counsel silent since initial statement

The special counsel’s office has not commented publicly since Friday, when it issued a statement outlining the facts. It said the official was questioned only once, on Oct. 2, to confirm details already obtained from other witnesses. “The session was not coercive, as there was no need to obtain new testimony,” the statement said.

Sources close to the investigation described the mood within the special counsel’s team as one of shock. The official was reportedly seen as a mid-level figure in the case, not a key decision-maker or central to the alleged irregularities. Investigators said there had been no indication during questioning that the official was considering extreme action.

However, the following day, the official wrote a note stating, “Even when I said I didn’t know or couldn’t remember, they kept pressing me,” and, “I’m tired and overwhelmed by the continued pressure.” A PPP official said the will was nearly 20 pages long and likely included references to alleged misconduct by the special counsel, adding that “the police have yet to show the family the document.”

Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, attends her first trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 24. She has been indicted and detained on charges including stock manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, political interference and taking bribes connected to the Unification Church. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Calls for disclosure and a new investigation

Despite the note’s contents, the special counsel maintains that the questioning was not coercive, setting up a potential prolonged dispute over what happened. Opposition lawmakers are demanding the release of video footage and transcripts from the Oct. 2 session to verify the circumstances.

The PPP said it will introduce a bill — dubbed the “Min Joong-ki Coercive Investigation Inquiry Act” — to examine whether human rights violations occurred during the special counsel’s probe.

The bereaved family is also preparing to take legal action. The family’s lawyer said they will formally request access to the interrogation records this week.

“We will first see whether the special counsel allows us to review the transcript,” said attorney Park Kyeong-ho, adding that “it may not be easy to prove coercion through records alone, but how the deceased’s answers were recorded is crucial.”

Park added that the family will decide whether to file complaints or charges against the special counsel and investigators for abuse of power or falsification of official documents after reviewing the materials.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JIN-HO [[email protected]]