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Yoon Han-hong allegedly told officials to hide Kim Keon Hee’s connection to 21gram
🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Yoon Han-hong allegedly told officials to hide Kim Keon Hee’s connection to 21gram

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Documents & data In the courts
  • A comprehensive special prosecutor’s indictment alleges that lawmaker Yoon Han-hong helped arrange presidential residence construction for the interior company 21gram, which Kim Keon Hee had favored.
  • The indictment says Yoon instructed an official to put a legally qualified company forward so that 21gram’s connection to the first lady would not be exposed.
  • Prosecutors concluded that Kim sought to replace a previously selected contractor after disliking its design proposal.

A lawmaker allegedly instructed officials to conceal the connection between former first lady Kim Keon Hee and an interior company chosen for construction at the presidential residence, according to an indictment by a comprehensive special prosecutor.

The indictment says People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Han-hong, who led the task force overseeing the residence relocation during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, received Kim’s request to give the work to 21gram. Kim reportedly described the company as an interior firm she knew well.

The fact that it is the first lady’s company must not be exposed.

— Yoon Han-hongThe indictment says Yoon gave this instruction while discussing how to present the contractor for presidential residence construction.

The special prosecutor concluded that Kim decided to replace the contractor initially designated for the residence after seeing its design proposal and disliking it. The replacement would allow the residence to be built according to her preferences, prosecutors said.

The indictment alleges that Yoon later told former presidential office management secretary Kim Oh-jin that “the fact that it is the first lady’s company must not be exposed” and that officials should “put a legally qualified company forward.” The allegations relate to suspected abuse of power by Kim and Yoon. The provided account does not indicate the outcome of the case.

Put a legally qualified company forward.

— Yoon Han-hongThe alleged instruction was intended to keep 21gram’s connection to Kim Keon Hee from becoming public.
About this summary

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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