Ex-interior minister, 3 others indicted over alleged irregularities in presidential residence relocation

SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Tuesday indicted former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and three other former officials who served under former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration over alleged irregularities in the 2022 relocation of the presidential residence.

Lee, former presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki, former presidential secretary for administrative affairs Yoon Jae-soon and former presidential secretary for general affairs Kim Oh-jin face abuse of power charges in the case.

The officials are accused of illegally diverting 2.09 billion won (US$1.38 million) from the state budget to pay an interior design company for the renovation of the presidential residence following its relocation from Cheong Wa Dae to the central Seoul district of Yongsan.

The company, 21 Gram, is suspected of having won the project despite being unqualified due to its ties with Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee.

Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min (from L), former presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki, former presidential secretary for administrative affairs Yoon Jae-soon and former presidential secretary for general affairs Kim Oh-jin are seen in this composite file photo. (Yonhap)

The special counsel team alleges that 21 Gram's estimate for the interior renovation work was nearly three times the initial interior budget, which prompted the presidential office to pressure the interior ministry to cover the expenses by illegally diverting funds.

It marked the first indictments by special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team after it was launched late February to investigate allegations surrounding the former president that were not fully covered by previous special counsels.

The relocation of the presidential office was one of Yoon's campaign pledges. Incumbent President Lee Jae Myung has since moved the office back to Cheong Wa Dae.

Separately, Kwon's team filed for arrest warrants for former Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Kim Myung-soo and three other former military officials Tuesday over their alleged roles in Yoon's failed martial law bid, according to legal sources.

The four are accused of playing a key role in an insurrection following Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, by failing, if not refusing, to block troops from being deployed to the National Assembly.

The team believes the former JCS chief did not propose a withdrawal of martial law troops from parliament despite being informed by his deputies of the potential illegality of the deployment.

A court is expected to hold an arrest warrant hearing for Kim Myung-soo an