South Korea investigation links Yoon, wife to presidential relocation contracts; witness testifies
Seoul, South Korea — A comprehensive special prosecutor team investigating various allegations surrounding former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife summoned former deputy minister Kim Ojin as a witness on the 11th, according to JTBC reporting. The team is led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-yeong.
Kim Ojin, the former deputy minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, has previously been detained in the Kim Gun-hee special prosecutor investigation on charges including abuse of power and violations of the Construction Industry Basic Law tied to contractor selection for the presidential office and residence relocation project.
During the Kim Gun-hee investigation, Kim Ojin testified that higher-ups were involved. He pointed to a claim that “the top brass” directed actions related to the relocation effort, a matter at the heart of the wider investigation into government procurement and influence.
Kim Ojin also said that around April 2022, Yoon Han-hong, a People Power Party lawmaker who chaired the Blue House relocation Task Force, told him that “Kim Gun-hee picked the company, so 21GRAM should be allowed to perform the construction.” The same line of testimony reportedly emerged in the ongoing special prosecutor inquiry.
The special prosecutor team has reportedly obtained similar statements from Kim Ojin. Building on these leads, investigators have pursued search-and-seizure actions and are expected to accelerate efforts to identify the “top brass” behind the alleged influence in the contracts.
In its initial briefing, the team indicated it would examine whether Kim Gun-hee’s involvement in government contracts related to the presidential office relocation constituted an improper interference that could threaten national security or public governance.
For international readers, this centers on a high-profile case involving political influence, private contractors, and state procurement in a U.S.-ally country. The Blue House relocation project—moving the presidential office and residence from Cheong Wa-dae to a government complex—has been a prominent policy issue, with implications for governance, transparency, and accountability in South Korea’s administration.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not announced final charges related to Kim Ojin’s statements. Officials at the special prosecutor’s office are expected to disclose further details as the inquiry progresses.