Seoul: Prosecutors are expected to announce their decision as early as this week not to charge first lady Kim Keon Hee over her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors Inc., a BMW car dealer, sources said Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, sources familiar with the case, the investigation division handling the case reported its investigation results to Lee Chang-soo, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, last week for his approval following a legal review. The prosecution is reportedly leaning toward not indicting the first lady. Kim has been under investigation for allegations that her financial account was used to manipulate the stock prices of Deutsch Motors between 2009-2012.
Last month, an appellate court found former Deutsch Motors Chairman Kwon Oh-soo and others guilty, including a man surnamed Sohn, who allegedly financed the manipulation scheme, as the first lady allegedly has. The ruling aroused calls from opposition parties that the firs
t lady should also be charged with abetting the manipulation, as Sohn has been.
Prosecutors reportedly distinguish Kim’s alleged involvement from that of Sohn, who was in direct communication with the traders engaged in the manipulation scheme, concluding that her investment pattern was markedly different. The prosecution is highly anticipated to announce the final investigation decision Thursday.
A decision not to indict may further fuel opposition parties’ push for an independent counsel investigation into suspicions involving the first lady, after the prosecution recently decided not to charge her for accepting a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor in 2022.