CHANGWON—South Korea's second comprehensive special counsel team launched its first compulsory investigation into allegations surrounding the relocation of the presidential residence, raiding the offices of Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the ruling People Power Party.
According to legal sources on Wednesday, the special counsel dispatched prosecutors and investigators to search Yoon's residence, National Assembly office, and district office in Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, to secure related materials.
The raid marks the first compulsory investigation since the comprehensive special counsel team was launched on April 25. The search warrant was reportedly issued on charges of abuse of authority.
The Kim Keon-hee special counsel team previously announced that Yoon, who served as head of the Blue House relocation task force during then-President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol's transition committee in 2022, was involved in the process of moving the presidential residence to Hannam-dong in Seoul's Yongsan District.
The allegations center on claims that 21Gram, a company without a general construction license, received preferential treatment by winning private contracts for the relocation and expansion of the presidential office and residence after President Yoon took office.
21Gram had sponsored exhibitions for Cobana Contents, a company run by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, and handled its office design and construction. Suspicions arose that the company secured the residence contract through Kim's influence. Investigators found that another company was originally set to handle the construction immediately after Yoon's election victory, but the contractor was suddenly changed to 21Gram around May of that year.
The Kim Keon-hee special counsel team indicted and detained former Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Oh-jin, who oversaw operations as head of the first division of the Blue House relocation task force, along with former presidential secretary Hwang, who served on the task force. Both face charges including abuse of authority obstructing the exercise of rights, violation of the Framework Act on the Construction Industry, fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, dereliction of duty, and preparation and use of false official documents.
In a December briefing on its investigation results, the Kim Keon-hee special counsel stated it "confirmed that Kim Keon-hee improperly intervened in state contract matters, including the presidential residence relocation, through Rep. Yoon, who is known as part of the so-called 'Yoon inner circle.'" However, citing insufficient investigation time, the team transferred the case to the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency without indicting the lawmaker.
The comprehensive special counsel team plans to analyze materials secured from the raid before summoning Rep. Yoon for questioning on the selection process for the residence construction contractor and the extent of the first lady's involvement.
