Comprehensive Special Counsel Seeks 4 Years for Former Chief of Staff Kim Daegi Over "Illegal Diversion" of Residence Budget

Special counsel seeks three years and six months in prison for former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sangmin

Kwon Changyoung's second comprehensive special counsel team asked the court to sentence former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Daegi to four years in prison for allegedly ordering the illegal diversion of budget funds during the relocation of the presidential residence under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

(From left) Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sangmin, former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Daegi, former General Affairs Secretary Yoon Jaesoon, and former Management Secretary Kim Ojin. Yonhap News Agency.

On October 16, the special counsel team sought a four-year prison term at the closing hearing on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights. The hearing was held before the 36th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Jeong-yeop. Prosecutors also sought prison terms of three years and six months each for former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sangmin and former Management Secretary Kim Ojin, who were indicted alongside Kim, and a two-year-and-six-month term for former Secretary for General Affairs Yoon Jaesun.

The special counsel team said, "This case undermined democratic oversight of national finances and infringed on the independent authority of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, causing serious actual harm to people and property." It added, "Although Kim Daegi was the highest decision-maker at the time of the alleged crime, he attempted to destroy evidence during the trial by mobilizing retired government officials."

They were indicted in June on suspicion of ordering the illegal diversion and use of approximately 2.1 billion won from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's budget, which was unrelated to work on the presidential residence, to pay construction costs to 21gram, an unqualified contractor, during construction work for the residence's relocation in 2022.

The former secretary was also charged with preparing a false official document by stating in an official letter requesting cooperation with the relocation of the Presidential Office that "construction of an office building is necessary."

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