Seoul: A special counsel team conducted raids on the defense and foreign ministries on Tuesday as part of an investigation into suspicions related to the relocation of the presidential residence during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration. The probe centers on alleged favoritism surrounding the relocation process initiated after Yoon's 2022 presidential election victory.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the team expanded its search to include multiple locations such as the interior ministry and the Presidential Security Service. The allegations involve potential favoritism associated with the relocation, which saw the presidential office moving from Cheong Wa Dae to the defense ministry compound in central Seoul, and the presidential residence relocating to the foreign minister's official residence. Critics have scrutinized these moves, and a state audit later uncovered irregularities and legal breaches by the interior ministry and the Presidential Security Service.
Further complicating the matter, a company connected to the former first lady allegedly secured a contract for the relocation without possessing the necessary licenses, fueling suspicions of favoritism. This development is part of a broader investigation, with the raid occurring a day after authorities searched the home and office of Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the main opposition People Power Party.
An earlier special probe had implicated the lawmaker in the alleged favoritism during his tenure as the head of a task force overseeing the relocation. The new special counsel team, established last month, aims to address allegations involving Yoon and his wife that were not thoroughly examined in three previous investigations.
Following President Lee Jae Myung's election last year, the presidential office has since been moved back to Cheong Wa Dae.