Kim Jin-woo, the brother of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, attends a pre-arrest detention review hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on November 19. Yonhap News

Kim Jin-woo, the brother of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who is suspected of receiving development favors in the Yangpyeong Gongheung district, avoided detention on the 19th.

Judge Jeong Jae-wook, who presides over pre-arrest detention review hearings at the Seoul Central District Court, held a hearing for Mr. Kim and subsequently dismissed the arrest warrant requested by the special prosecution team led by Min Jung-ki.

Judge Jeong stated, "It is difficult to conclude that the main charges have been sufficiently proven beyond reasonable doubt, and regarding the remaining charges, there is room for the suspect (Mr. Kim) to acknowledge or dispute the basic facts."

He further explained the grounds for dismissal, saying, "Considering that the submitted materials alone make it difficult to deem that there is a risk of evidence destruction or flight regarding the current charges."

The special prosecution team is expected to consider re-applying for an arrest warrant after further investigation.

On the 14th, the special prosecution team had requested an arrest warrant for Mr. Kim on charges of national treasury loss under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, embezzlement, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence.

Mr. Kim is accused of attempting to reduce development charges by fabricating documents, despite earning approximately 80 billion won in revenue by constructing apartments for 350 households in the Gongheung district between 2011 and 2016, while managing the development company ESI&D sequentially after his mother, Choi Eun-soon.

There are also allegations that Mrs. Kim destroyed evidence in the investigation by hiding a painting by artist Lee U-fan, which she received from former Deputy Prosecutor Kim Sang-min as a favor for political nomination, at her mother-in-law's residence.

Previously, it was understood that Mr. Kim admitted to tearing up a congratulatory letter to former President Yoon Suk-yeol from former National Education Committee Chairperson Lee Bae-yong, found at Mrs. Choi's nursing home, during the detention review hearing, explaining, "I didn't know it was important."

He is also reported to have acknowledged destroying police personnel documents found together, stating, "I got rid of them because I thought they might cause problems."

The special prosecution team decided to investigate Mrs. Choi, who faces the same charges, without detention, considering her maternal relationship with Mr. Kim and the extent of her involvement in the crimes. It is understood that Mrs. Choi recently submitted a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to the special prosecution team.

The special prosecution team also summoned and investigated Kim Chung-sik, Mrs. Choi's business partner, who is suspected of being involved in ESI&D receiving development charge exemptions, on November 31st as a suspect in national treasury loss under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.

National Assembly Member Kim Seon-kyo of the People Power Party, who was the mayor of Yangpyeong County at the time of the project, has also been notified of his summons on the 26th, with the same charges applied.

The special prosecution team is reportedly investigating the possibility of evidence destruction by Mr. Kim, having learned that Yangpyeong County official Mr. A, who was investigated as a suspect in the allegations on October 2nd and found dead on the 10th of the same month, met with Mr. Kim's aide twice before his death.

It is also reported that this aide attempted to obtain CCTV footage of himself meeting with Mr. A after Mr. A's death.

He explained to Yonhap News, "It is true that I met with Mr. A on October 4th and 8th, but there was no persuasion or destruction of evidence," adding, "I took the CCTV footage to secure evidence ahead of the Human Rights Commission investigation."

Yonhap News