Prosecution holds four-hour briefing on non-indictment decision for First Lady

[Anchor]

The prosecution, which held a nearly four-hour briefing on the decision to not indict the First Lady, revealed that the main perpetrators of stock price manipulation stated in their conversations that the First Lady was unaware of the criminal activities.

Regarding today's (10.17) announcement, legal circles pointed out that the prosecution has prolonged the investigation for over four years, causing controversy, and noted that it did not go through the investigation review committee at the last minute.

Next, we have a report from reporter Kim So-young.

[Report]

The prosecution disclosed the conversation between the main suspects, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Kim.

They said things like, 'Kim Keon-hee knows nothing', 'She probably hasn't eaten anything', 'Kim Keon-hee is just an innocent victim', and 'She's just one of them'.

This is one of the reasons the prosecution believes that the First Lady was perceived merely as a 'account holder' used in the crimes of former Chairman Kwon.

Regarding the so-called '7-second trade' suspicion, where the First Lady Kim Keon-hee allegedly traded 80,000 shares just 7 seconds after the stock manipulation players exchanged sell instructions via text, the prosecution also speculated that "former Chairman Kwon must have contacted Kim".

However, they stated that there is no evidence of such contact.

They also believed that even if there was contact, it was likely just a recommendation or suggestion to sell.

In a letter written by Mr. Kim, a stock manipulation player who is currently on the run, he wrote, "Only Mrs. Kim is excluded," which the prosecution described as "a part that is difficult to ascertain the exact content, intent, and context".

Regarding the profits earned by Mrs. Kim and her mother, they stated, "It is impossible to assess and we do not consider it within the scope of the investigation".

Additionally, the reason why the primary suspect, Mr. Lee, transferred 47 million won to Mrs. Kim in March 2020 has not been confirmed.

During the four-hour briefing, a prosecution official emphasized, "We conducted the investigation with the determination that all investigation records would be made public".

However, voices in the legal community are expressing that the prosecution has caused controversy by dragging out the investigation for four and a half years.

The fact that they concluded the case through internal reviews like the 'Red Team' without going through the investigation review committee is also a point of contention.

Ultimately, the prosecution has released the final investigation result of a decision not to indict, but political disputes are expected to continue in tomorrow's (10.18) National Assembly audit of the Central District Prosecutor's Office.

This is KBS News, Kim So-young.