Special prosecutor indicts Lee Sang-min, Kim Dae-ki and two others over presidential residence relocation allegations

By Yang Geun-hyuk, The Herald Business

The second comprehensive special prosecutor's office, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, said Tuesday it had indicted former presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki and former presidential administrative secretary Yun Jae-sun on charges of abuse of authority in connection with allegations of preferential treatment in the relocation of the presidential residence under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Former presidential management secretary Kim O-jin and former Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, currently held at Seoul Detention Center, were also indicted on the same charges. The indictments are the first since the comprehensive special prosecutor's office formally launched its investigation on Feb. 25.

The special prosecutor's office indicted Kim Dae-ki and Yun Jae-sun in custody on charges of obstructing the exercise of rights through abuse of authority, while Kim O-jin and Lee Sang-min were indicted without detention on the same charges. Yun also faces additional charges of preparing false official documents and using such documents.

According to the special prosecutor's office, the four defendants directed civil servants at the Ministry of Interior and Safety's Government Complex Management Headquarters and the Ministry of Economy and Finance — now the Ministry of Planning and Budget — to illegally redirect 2.09 billion won in budget funds between May and July 2022. The alleged purpose was to pay 4.1 billion won (approximately $2.65 million) in construction costs demanded without objective basis by a company called 21gram Co., which lacked the qualifications to carry out work on the presidential residence, a Class 1 security facility.

The special prosecutor's office said it confirmed that the defendants overrode objections from civil servants at the relevant agencies and ordered the illegal budget transfers, while arranging the appearance that each agency had independently decided to redirect the funds in order to evade responsibility. It also confirmed that the defendants publicly announced they would "complete the construction within the contingency reserve" to deceive the public, and that a section chief at the Government Complex Management Headquarters who resisted the illegal budget transfers was subjected to personnel disadvantages.

The special prosecutor's office is conducting further investigation into the alleged conspiracy and related matters surrounding the illegal budget transfers.