Key figures in Kim probe summoned

[Anchor]

Tomorrow (Aug. 18), key figures in the major allegations against Mrs. Kim Keon-hee will be summoned simultaneously.

Mrs. Kim, her close aide Kim Ye-sung, and the fortune teller Geonjin Beopsa.

The special investigation team will summon all three simultaneously to begin a comprehensive probe into various allegations.

Jung Sang-bin reports.

[Report]

After responding to her first summons since her arrest, Mrs. Kim Keon-hee returned to the detention center just four hours later. When questioned by the investigation team about whether she had entrusted the presidential election opinion poll to Mr. Myung Tae-kyun and assisted former lawmaker Kim Young-sun with her nomination, she mostly did not respond.

[Moon Hong-ju/Deputy Special Prosecutor on Kim Keon-hee probe/14th: "The suspect exercised the right to remain silent regarding most of the allegations..."]

The special investigation team will question Mrs. Kim again tomorrow.

They plan to ask whether Mrs. Kim discussed nominations with Congressman Yoon Sang-hyun, who was the chairman of the nomination management committee in 2022, and whether she attempted to nominate former prosecutor Kim Sang-min last year.

Initially, they intended to press her on the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation, but the investigation schedule has been delayed due to her 'refusal to testify'.

As a result, the special investigation team is accelerating the investigation of key related individuals.

Geonjin Beopsa Jeon Seong-bae, the person involved in the 'Unification Church solicitation allegations', will also appear at the same time as Mrs. Kim.

This will be the first investigation since the launch of the special investigation team.

Yoon, the former head of the Unification Church, who was arrested for allegedly delivering 'high-value gifts for Mrs. Kim' along with requests related to Unification Church issues, is expected to be sent to trial tomorrow.

['Geonjin Beopsa'/Jeon Seong-bae/Spiritualist/June 23: "(Did you deliver gifts related to the Unification Church solicitation to Mrs. Kim?) ...."]

Kim Ye-sung, a key figure in the 'Butler Gate allegations', will also undergo his first investigation after her arrest.

He is currently detained only on embezzlement charges, and the special investigation team plans to investigate whether he used his connections with Mrs. Kim to secure investments from large corporations and whether he shared some of those investment funds with Mrs. Kim.

This is KBS News, Jung Sang-bin.