The Korean National Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters has cleared former first lady Kim Keon-hee of allegations that she and former President Yoon Suk-yeol held a party aboard a naval VIP vessel, citing insufficient evidence.
The Special Investigation Headquarters, which took over the remaining cases from the Kim Keon-hee special counsel probe, said in a press notice Tuesday that "suspect Kim Keon-hee's case has been closed without referral due to insufficient evidence."
By contrast, former Presidential Security Service Chief Kim Yong-hyun and former Deputy Chief Kim Sung-hoon, who are suspected of leading preparations for the shipboard party at the time, were referred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office without detention. They face charges of instigating abuse of authority and abuse of authority, respectively, under the Presidential Security Act.
The former presidential couple faced allegations that during their 2023 summer vacation, they held a party using a naval vessel at the Jinhae naval base in South Gyeongsang Province and privately appropriated military assets. Some also raised suspicions that the couple installed karaoke equipment on the naval vessel and enjoyed a fireworks display.
Investigators found that former Deputy Chief Kim Sung-hoon gave excessive orders to Presidential Security Service staff, including the delivery of diamond grouper, the installation of karaoke equipment for the shipboard party, and preparations for fireworks. He also faces charges of blocking the VIP vessel from entering port during a nighttime voyage so that fireworks could be viewed more closely, and of ordering unreasonable navigation such as abrupt course changes.
Kim Keon-hee reportedly maintained the position that "she believed Deputy Chief Kim Sung-hoon had acted on his own judgment" with regard to these actions.
