Editor’s Note
This report details new developments in an ongoing investigation into allegations involving the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The claims, which concern the receipt of luxury items, have not been independently verified by our newsroom and remain subject to the legal process. We present this information as part of our commitment to covering matters of significant public interest.
The special prosecution team investigating allegations involving Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, has reportedly secured evidence suggesting that Seohee Construction and businessman Seo delivered a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and a Vacheron Constantin watch worth tens of millions of won to Ms. Kim.
According to the legal community, a voluntary statement submitted by Seohee Construction Chairman Lee Bong-gwan to the special prosecution team states that he personally met Ms. Kim in March 2022 and gave her a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace as a congratulatory gift for the election victory.
The product, which uses 71 diamonds (3.04 carats) to depict a snowflake crystal shape, was priced at 62 million won in 2022 and currently costs 83.5 million won on the official website.
Van Cleef & Arpels was founded in 1896 in Paris, France, by Dutch jeweler Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law, Salomon Arpels. It established itself as a high-end jewelry brand beloved by royalty worldwide after creating the wedding gift set for Hollywood star-turned-Monaco Princess Grace Kelly in 1956.
Ms. Kim also drew attention when cameras captured her wearing Van Cleef & Arpels’ famous four-leaf clover-shaped ‘Alhambra’ bracelet at former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration ceremony. The price of the ‘Magic Alhambra Long Necklace’ currently sold on Van Cleef & Arpels’ official website reaches 299.5 million won.
The ‘Vacheron Constantin’ watch allegedly delivered to Ms. Kim by businessman Seo is also a topic of discussion. Mr. Seo previously stated during the special prosecution’s investigation that in September 2022, he purchased a watch with a market price of around 50 million won for 35 million won at a Vacheron Constantin store using a so-called ‘First Lady discount’ and then personally delivered it to Ms. Kim’s residence.
The product suspected to have been delivered to Ms. Kim is Vacheron Constantin’s ‘Historique American 1921’ model, which is priced at 54 million won.
Vacheron Constantin is the world’s oldest watch brand, founded in 1755 in Geneva, Switzerland. Alongside Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, it is known among watch enthusiasts as one of the ‘Big Three’ watch brands.
Given its long history, it is said that Emperor Napoleon I, the 33rd U.S. President Harry Truman, and Sunjong, the last emperor of the Korean Empire, owned watches from this brand.