Latest news with #SeoulSouthernDistrictProsecutors'Office
Korea Herald
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Stripped of immunity, Yoon Suk Yeol now faces 7 criminal offenses
All of South Korea's law enforcement agencies are now investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol, with seven criminal cases underway following the loss of his presidential immunity after his April 4 ouster. While controversies surrounding Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, drew attention during his presidency, investigations had stalled due to Article 84 of the Constitution, which shields sitting presidents from prosecution except for insurrection or treason. Yoon also vetoed multiple bills calling for a special counsel probe into his wife's alleged misconduct. But the investigations have regained momentum. On Thursday, prosecutors indicted Yoon for abuse of power, related to his alleged declaration of martial law. A special team led by Park Se-hyun at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office said Yoon will face trial for violating Article 123 of the Criminal Act. The prosecution has acted the Seoul Central District Court to merge the case with his insurrection charge case, ongoing since Feb. 26. A day earlier, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office raided the former first couple's private residence and Covana Contents, Kim's exhibition planning company. The raid targeted suspected ties between the couple and shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin, including alleged violations of the country's antigraft law. Investigators are examining claims that Jeon received luxury gifts — reportedly intended for Kim, including a diamond necklace and handbag — after Yoon's 2022 election victory from a high-ranking official of the Unification Church, a religious movement derived from Christianity. Jeon is also accused of receiving 100 million won ($70,478) from a People Power Party candidate and is believed to have played an unofficial advisory role in Yoon's campaign. The prosecution is additionally revisiting two separate election law violation cases, in which Yoon allegedly made false statements about his mother-in-law's fraud case and his wife's involvement in a stock manipulation scandal, during his campaign in 2022. These cases had previously been paused due to Yoon's then presidential immunity. In parallel, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials has resumed its probe into Yoon's alleged interference in a military investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, a marine conscript who drowned during a rescue mission in 2023. Investigators recently conducted forensic analysis of the phone used by Lim Seong-geun, the then commander of the deceased marine's division. Separately, police are also pursuing obstruction of justice charges over Yoon's attempts to block the execution of an arrest warrant at the presidential residence in January this year.
Korea Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Yoon Suk Yeol's apartment raided over wife's alleged gifts
Prosecutors carried out a search and seizure of the private residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on Thursday, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption via ties between the former presidential couple and a shaman, Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin. Wednesday's raid by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office is seen as an effort to secure evidence related to Jeon's alleged violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and his alleged connection to the former presidential couple. The prosecution previously investigated a high-ranking Unification Church official, surnamed Yoon, who reportedly claimed that he gave a diamond necklace estimated to be worth 60 million won ($41,976) and an expensive handbag of unknown value to Jeon, allegedly as a gift for the former first lady Kim after then-presidential candidate Yoon won the election in 2022. The prosecution seeks to verify whether and which gifts were actually handed over to Kim. The prosecutors reportedly suspect that the Unification Church official attempted to lobby the former presidential couple through Jeon in order to gain government-led support for the church's business operations in Cambodia. Authorities also obtained a text message in which church official Yoon reportedly sent Jeon a bundle of cash amounting to 30 million won under the pretext of a "prayer fee." Jeon was previously accused of receiving 100 million won from a politician who ran for office during the local elections in 2018. He is believed to have played a role in decision-making and served as a lesser-known leader of Yoon's campaign team, having been brought in without an official appointment. The shaman was found in a now-deleted video recorded in January 2022, where he introduced then-presidential candidate Yoon to campaign staff with friendly physical and verbal gestures at the office of the networking subcommittee. Jeon was reportedly accused of flaunting his personal connections with the former presidential couple to influence business interests as well. Wednesday's raid was the first time the former president and his wife have been subjected to a search and seizure operation. The joint probe team comprising the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation had attempted to carry out six search and seizure operations of the official presidential office and presidential residence compound in regards to the criminal charges Yoon faces alleging he led an insurrection by declaring martial law Dec. 3. However, each of these attempts were blocked by the Presidential Security Service, which refused to comply, citing military secrets and official confidentiality as reasons for its refusal. The former president's apartment in the Acrovista complex in Seocho-gu is not a location involving classified military secrets or official duties under the Criminal Procedure Act.
The Sun
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
South Korean prosecutors raid ex-President Yoon's private residence, Yonhap reports
SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors are conducting a search operation at ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's private residence, Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday. Yoon was ousted on April 4 over his attempt to declare martial law late last year. Prosecutors investigating an influence-peddling case involving religious figures were looking for documents and material that could indicate their association with the former president and his wife, Yonhap said. It was not clear if investigators had entered the premises, Yonhap said. A spokesperson for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which is handling the case, could not be reached for comment. Following his December 14 impeachment by parliament, Yoon had resisted attempts by investigators to search the official presidential residence, citing reasons of security and protection of classified materials. He moved to his private residence on April 11.
Korea Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Yoon Suk Yeol's apartment raided over shaman's alleged gifts to wife Kim Keon Hee
Prosecutors carried out a search and seizure of the private residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on Thursday, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption via ties between the former presidential couple and a shaman, Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin. Wednesday's raid by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office is seen as an effort to secure evidence related to Jeon's alleged violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and his alleged connection to the former presidential couple. The prosecution previously investigated a high-ranking Unification Church official, surnamed Yoon, who reportedly claimed that he gave a diamond necklace estimated to be worth 60 million won ($41,976) and an expensive handbag of unknown value to Jeon, allegedly as a gift for the former first lady Kim after then-presidential candidate Yoon won the election in 2022. The prosecution seeks to verify whether and which gifts were actually handed over to Kim. The prosecutors reportedly suspect that the Unification Church official attempted to lobby the former presidential couple through Jeon in order to gain government-led support for the church's business operations in Cambodia. Unification Church is a religious movement derived from Christianity, founded in 1954 by Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Authorities also obtained a text message in which church official Yoon reportedly sent Jeon a bundle of cash amounting to 30 million won under the pretext of a "prayer fee." Wednesday's raid was the first time the former president and his wife have been subjected to a search and seizure operation. Though the joint probe team comprised of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation have attempted to carry out six search and seizure operations of the official presidential office and presidential residence compound in regards to the criminal charges Yoon faces alleging he led an insurrection by declaring martial law Dec. 3, each of these attempts were blocked by the Presidential Security Service, which refused to comply, citing military secrets and official confidentiality as reasons for its refusal. The former president's apartment in the Acrovista complex in Seocho-gu is not a location involving classified military secrets or official duties under the Criminal Procedure Act.
New Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
South Korean prosecutors raid former president Yoon's residence
SEOUL: The South Korean prosecution on Wednesday raided the residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of its investigation into various suspicions over relations between his family and a controversial shaman, Yonhap News Agency reported. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office sent prosecutors and investigators to Yoon's residence in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in the morning to secure possible evidence related to the suspicions involving shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin. Prosecutors are reportedly investigating allegations that a high-ranking Unification Church official delivered a diamond necklace and an expensive bag to Jeon soon after Yoon's election as president in 2022, as a gift to former First Lady Kim Keon Hee. They are also trying to verify the authenticity of the alleged delivery of gifts to Jeon and whether any gifts were actually handed over to Kim. – BERNAMA
