Kim Tae-young, CEO of 21 Grams, answers lawmakers' questions at a National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee national audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection in Yeouido, Seoul. [Yonhap]
Kim Tae-young, CEO of 21 Grams, answers lawmakers' questions at a National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee national audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection in Yeouido, Seoul. [Yonhap]

A court has rejected an arrest warrant sought by the special prosecutor's office against Kim Tae-young, CEO of interior design firm 21 Grams, who is under investigation over allegations surrounding the relocation of the presidential residence.

Seoul Central District Court rejected the warrant on June 23. The second team of the comprehensive special prosecutor's office, led by special prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, had sought the warrant on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of rights.

After conducting a pre-detention hearing, the court said it found it "difficult to recognize the necessity and appropriateness of detention."

The special prosecutor's team had been investigating Kim as an alleged accomplice of Kim O-jin, a former presidential office administrative secretary indicted under the Kim Keon Hee special prosecutor, and a former presidential secretariat official surnamed Hwang. Kim O-jin and Hwang are on trial on charges of leading the government to award a contract to 21 Grams — an allegedly unqualified firm — during the 2022 presidential residence relocation.

Separately, the special prosecutor's team is also investigating allegations that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's presidential office illegally disbursed state funds while paying 21 Grams for the construction work.

Former Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, former presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-gi, former general affairs secretary Yoon Jae-soon and former administrative secretary Kim O-jin were indicted last month on abuse-of-authority charges related to the matter.

They are accused of ordering the illegal diversion of 2.09 billion won ($1.36 million) in state funds to match a construction cost estimate that 21 Grams had unilaterally calculated and demanded without objective basis.


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