The special investigation team led by Kwon Chang-young, probing allegations surrounding the relocation of the presidential residence under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, sought an arrest warrant for Kim Tae-young, CEO of the interior company 21Gram. However, the court has rejected this request.
According to legal sources on July 7, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the arrest warrant application filed by the special investigation team on June 23, citing charges of abuse of power among others. The court reportedly concluded that there were insufficient grounds to justify the necessity and significance of the arrest.
This decision has hindered the special investigation team's efforts to secure Kim's custody, as they had identified him as a key figure in the allegations of favoritism related to the presidential residence relocation project.
21Gram, under Kim's leadership, was awarded the contract for the relocation and expansion of the presidential office and residence following Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration. The special investigation team is examining whether there was favoritism involved in awarding the contract to 21Gram, which lacks a comprehensive construction license. The company has also faced scrutiny due to its past sponsorship of exhibitions organized by Kobana Contents, a company previously led by Kim Geon-hee, raising questions about potential influence on the contract award.
The special investigation team views Kim as an accomplice in the abuse of power allegations involving former presidential office official Kim O-jin and administrative officer Hwang. Both are currently on trial for allegedly facilitating the contract with the unqualified 21Gram during the presidential residence relocation project in 2022.
Separately, the investigation team is also looking into allegations that the presidential office illegally diverted funds from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's budget to pay 21Gram for the construction work. Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, former Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki, former General Affairs Secretary Yoon Jae-soon, and Kim O-jin were indicted last month for abuse of power. They are accused of directing the illegal diversion and execution of 2.09 billion won from the national budget to cover the construction costs demanded by 21Gram without objective justification.
Despite the rejection of the arrest warrant, the special investigation team continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding 21Gram's contract award. On the same day, during a trial related to fraud charges against Kim, a witness from the Government Building Management Office was called to testify about the procedures for direct contracts and the requirements for company expertise.
The witness stated, in response to the special investigation team's inquiry about the absence of expertise requirements in the direct contract justification, "I couldn't make that judgment. Since it has already happened, shouldn't we at least go through the formalities?" When asked if the direct contract document was falsely prepared, the witness replied, "That should be the conclusion, shouldn't it?"
The special investigation team plans to continue questioning the head of the Government Building Management Office on July 20. With the court's rejection of the arrest warrant for Kim, the team is expected to focus on proving the process of 21Gram's contract award and budget execution without his custody for the time being.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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