Ex-Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki Denies Abuse of Power Charges in Residence Relocation Trial

Former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki has vehemently denied all charges of abuse of power in the first hearing of his trial concerning the relocation of the presidential residence. Kim and other former officials are accused of illegally diverting funds to cover the significantly increased costs associated with moving the official residence.

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The budget transfer was lawful, and there was no illegality in terms of requirements and procedures.

During the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Kim's legal team argued that the budget transfers were lawful and adhered to all necessary requirements and procedures. They contended that the financial responsibility for the residence relocation ultimately lay with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Furthermore, the defense asserted that Kim, lacking direct authority over other ministries, could not have committed abuse of power. They also characterized the residence relocation as a public project for the president and his family, negating any personal motive for Kim to curry favor.

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Kim Dae-ki does not have the authority over other ministries, therefore abuse of power cannot be established.

The prosecution alleges that Kim and others directed the illegal diversion of state funds totaling approximately 2 billion won between May and July 2022. This was reportedly done to accommodate a construction bid from an unlicensed interior design firm, '21 Gram,' which quoted costs nearly three times the initially allocated 1.44 billion won for interior work. The prosecution claims that the officials involved bypassed proper procedures and even subjected a department head who opposed the budget diversion to unfavorable personnel actions, such as being passed over for promotion.

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It is absurd to claim that I abused my power by ordering illegal budget transfers, as I only received simple reports.