Home > National > Social Affairs

Seized necklace a replica, says special counsel investigating former first lady

Published: 29 Jul. 2025, 21:06 Updated: 30 Jul. 2025, 17:21

Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, right, is seen wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace (pictured bottom right) during a dinner with the Korean community in Madrid, Spain, on June 29, 2022, during a NATO summit trip with former President Yoon Suk Yeol. [JOINT PRESS CORPS, SCREEN CAPTURE]

A necklace seized from the home of Kim Keon Hee’s brother-in-law, Kim Jin-woo, last Friday has been confirmed to be a replica, the special counsel team investigating the former first lady said Tuesday.

The Van Cleef & Arpels Snowflake pendant gained attention after Kim wore it during a dinner with Korean expatriates in Madrid on June 29, 2022, during the NATO summit. At the time, the necklace was believed to be worth 62 million won ($44,600), raising concerns that former President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to report it in required asset disclosures.

The special counsel recently confirmed through an appraisal that the necklace is a fake, according to legal sources on Tuesday. It reportedly lacks the unique serial number of authentic pieces. Kim’s representatives said it was a replica bought before Yoon took office.

Investigators are looking into whether the original necklace was swapped and hidden. Testimony suggests that Kim Jin-woo moved several items, including the fake necklace, to the home of his mother-in-law, surnamed Han, after the Dec. 3 martial law crisis in 2024. Kim Jin-woo claimed on Monday that he moved it due to interior renovations.

Kim Jin-woo, center, the brother of Kim Keon Hee, is questioned by the special counsel on July 28 about a suspected Van Cleef & Arpels necklace found at his mother-in-law’s home. [LEE CHAN-KYU]

The special counsel team is now focused on locating the genuine Van Cleef & Arpels necklace.

The investigation is also expanding into potential bribery involving Kim. A search warrant for the residence of a figure surnamed Choi included a claim that an unidentified individual gave the necklace to Kim with the intent to lobby her.

The special counsel is also reported to have seized other valuables from Han’s home, including a painting by a well-known artist, 100 million won ($71,900) in cash, and a number of luxury items such as a diamond necklace. The painting reportedly came with an authenticity certificate.

Investigators are now examining whether these items constitute illicit gifts or bribes and are working to identify who provided them.

Suspicions surrounding the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace were first raised in August 2022. Under the Public Service Ethics Act, public servants must report any individual jewelry item worth over 5 million won. Yoon never reported the necklace during the campaign or after taking office.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) later accused Yoon of violating the Public Official Election Act by allegedly making false declarations in his asset report. Kim’s side initially claimed she had borrowed the necklace in Spain and thus was not required to declare it. However, in a written statement to prosecutors this May, they changed their stance and said the necklace was a fake.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and first lady Kim Keon Hee walk to the No. 3 polling station at Seoul Wonmyeong Elementary School in Seocho District, southern Seoul on the presidential election day on June 3. [NEWS1]

The necklace is also linked to another alleged lobbying case. A former executive of the Unification Church, surnamed Yoon, allegedly gave a 60 million won Graff necklace to shaman Jeon Seong-bae — also known as Geonjin — saying Kim should “wear it instead of borrowing.”

The special counsel suspects the Unification Church gifted Kim the Graff necklace, along with two Chanel bags worth 20 million won to curry favor and influence development aid projects in Cambodia and other interests.

The DP strongly condemned Kim on Tuesday.

“It’s outrageous to claim that she wore a fake while representing Korea at NATO,” said DP spokesperson Rep. Kim Hyun-jung in a press briefing. “If the necklace turns out to be real, the government must thoroughly investigate who gave it to her and what favors were requested.

“Using lies to avoid punishment and damaging the dignity of the nation must be dealt with more severely.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE CHAN-KYU [[email protected]]