Former First Lady Kim Jeon-hee arrested... Deciding factor: fake necklace?

Kim Gun-hee, wife of former South Korean President Yoon Seok-gyul, has been arrested on suspicion of multiple allegations. Yoon was also arrested last month, making her the first woman in South Korea's constitutional history to be arrested.
It was an unusual situation in which the former president and his wife were detained at the same time. The court explained the reason for the detention as "there is a risk of evidence being destroyed," but the background to this was the "Van Clee" document submitted by the special prosecutor team.
The deciding factor appears to be whether the necklace was genuine or a replica by Fleur & Arpels. Judge Jeong Jae-wook, chief judge of the warrant division of the Seoul Central District Court, said at 11:59 p.m. on the 13th that the case was brought against the defendant.
After the interrogation, Kim was kept waiting at the Seoul Southern Detention Center, but was detained on the same day. The Special Prosecutor's Team (hereinafter referred to as the Special Prosecutor) investigated Kim's manipulation of German Motors stock prices.
The court had requested an arrest warrant for Kim on suspicion of bribery, suspicion of official interference in Myung Tae-gyun's case, and suspicion of soliciting money from Monk Gonjin. Kim denied all the charges and decided that further questioning was pointless.
Therefore, a warrant was requested the day after the hearing on the 6th. The reason the court cited "fear of evidence destruction" as the reason for the arrest is believed to be largely influenced by the circumstances surrounding the "NATO necklace" that the special prosecutor emphasized.
The special prosecutor believes that Kim's team attempted to systematically destroy evidence by disguising the genuine necklace as if it never existed and placing counterfeits in the homes of those involved in the case in order to obstruct the investigation.
In May 2022, Kim caused controversy when he wore an expensive necklace that was not listed on his asset declaration during a NATO trip.
If he received the item from someone else, he could be charged with bribery, while if he received the item from someone else, he could be charged with violating the Public Official Ethics Act. At the time, Kim's side said, "I gave a fake item I bought 20 years ago to my mother, and then borrowed it to wear.
The counterfeit necklace was discovered at the home of Kim's brother's mother-in-law at the end of last month. However, on the 11th, the special prosecutor searched the premises of a company related to Sohee Construction and voluntarily offered the genuine necklace.
According to the special prosecutor, Kim returned the necklace he received from Seohee Construction after the affair broke out, and Seohee Construction kept it. Seohee Construction is a 202
He also submitted a handwritten letter stating that he bought the necklace and gave it to Kim immediately after he was elected president in 2012. The special prosecutor's office is investigating the existence of a counterfeit necklace found at the home of Kim's brother's mother-in-law and a copy submitted by Sohee Construction.
In a media briefing on the 12th, Assistant Special Prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee said, "It is clear that he wore the genuine item during his NATO trip, but
He said that the goods were counterfeits that he bought in Hong Kong 20 years ago. He said that he plans to thoroughly investigate how the counterfeit goods were discovered at the home of Kim's brother's relative, and made clear his intention to pursue allegations of attempting to destroy evidence.
The bribery charge related to the necklace was not included in the main reason for the arrest warrant, so Kim's side countered that it was a separate matter.
The charges have been summarized as simply as possible to clarify the issues at stake, he said, adding, "When determining the grounds for arrest, we will comprehensively consider the circumstances, complicity, and the necessity of investigation."
The judge, Jung Jae-wook, who specializes in warrants, is believed to have explained the circumstances surrounding the incident to explain the possibility of evidence being destroyed, and the court accepted his explanation.
The special counsel's team interrogated Kim for approximately two hours and 45 minutes, from 10:10 a.m. to 12:55 p.m., explaining the charges against him and the necessity of his detention.
Eight people attended, including Kim. After the special counsel's statement, there was a five-minute break, and then Kim's side continued to make rebuttals from around 1:00 pm to 2:35 pm. Yoo Jong-hoo and Choi Myeong-seo were on Kim's side.
Attorney Choi Ji Woo attended the hearing.