A court has rejected an arrest warrant sought by the second comprehensive special counsel team for Kim Tae-young, CEO of interior design firm 21gram, who is implicated in a case involving the relocation of the presidential residence, it was belatedly revealed.
According to legal circles Thursday, the Seoul Central District Court on the 23rd of last month rejected the arrest warrant that the special counsel team had requested for Kim on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.
The court explained its reason for rejecting the arrest warrant, saying it was "difficult to recognize the necessity and appropriateness of detention."
At the heart of the residence relocation preferential treatment allegations is the claim that 21gram, a firm without a general construction business license, received favorable treatment by winning contracts for the relocation and expansion work of the presidential office and residence through private contracts after former President Yoon's inauguration.
21gram is a company that sponsored exhibitions held by Covana Contents, run by first lady Kim Keon-hee, and handled the design and construction of its offices. Allegations have been raised that the firm won the residence construction contract through Kim's influence. Investigations found that although another company was originally set to undertake the work immediately after former President Yoon's election in 2022, the construction firm was abruptly changed to 21gram around May of the same year.
The special counsel team is investigating Kim as a co-conspirator in abuse of authority charges alongside former presidential office management secretary Kim Oh-jin and Hwang, a former presidential secretariat administrator, both of whom were indicted earlier by the Kim Keon-hee special counsel. Kim, the former secretary, and Hwang are on trial on charges of having the government contract with 21gram, an unqualified firm, during the 2022 presidential residence relocation work.
