Prosecutor Accused of Kim Keon-hee Probe Interference Appears for Third Special Inquiry

Choi Jae-hoon, a former prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, has appeared for his third questioning by a special prosecutor's team investigating allegations of interference in the probe into first lady Kim Keon-hee's involvement in the controversial Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case. This marks his second appearance as a suspect since his initial questioning on June 16.

Arriving at the special prosecutor's office in Gwacheon, Choi responded to reporters' questions about coordinating written responses with Kim's legal team by stating, "I will explain well today." He declined to answer specific questions regarding whether he perceived the request to review the response as a form of bribery or if the investigation team was informed of the interview location on the same day.

The special prosecutor's team has recently added Choi as a suspect for allegedly violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act by coordinating the content of the response document with Kim. Investigators reportedly found that parts of a blue-marked unofficial response sent by Kim to the investigation team were ultimately revised and deleted. There are also indications that Kim's preliminary testimony and actual statement were about 80% consistent.

Separately, the special prosecutor's team summoned Seo Min-seok, a former deputy head prosecutor in the anti-corruption division, as a witness. Seo, currently a professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, was involved in the practical aspects of the investigation into Kim's stock manipulation charges in 2023. The team is also scheduled to question Lee Chang-soo, former head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, on July 3 as a suspect, facing charges of forging official documents and aiding and abetting violations of the anti-corruption law in connection with the alleged cover-up of the Deutsch Motors investigation.

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I will explain well today.