Prosecutors raid ex-first lady’s former aide, Chanel Korea over shaman probe

Prosecutors have raided the residence of a former aide to ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee and Chanel Korea as part of investigations into various suspicions over relations between ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife and a controversial shaman, judicial sources said Friday.

They said the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office recently sent investigators to search the former secretary’s residence and the office of Chanel Korea to secure evidence related to the whereabouts of gifts reportedly given to Kim from shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin.

Prosecutors are looking into allegations that a high-ranking Unification Church official gifted a diamond necklace and a Chanel bag to Kim in exchange for various favors after Yoon’s election as president in 2022.

Chanel Korea said it was responding to the prosecution’s investigation “sincerely,” without elaborating on the details of the case.

Last month, the prosecution also raided Yoon’s residence in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, along with Kim’s office and the residences of two of her secretaries.

However, they reportedly failed to secure much of the evidence, including the necklace in question, nor succeeded in unlocking the former first lady’s cellphone.