Lee Bong-gwan, chairman of Seohui Construction, who gave high-value jewelry — a necklace, a brooch and a pair of earrings — to Kim Keon Hee on three occasions, told the court he confessed because “I thought I would die if I didn’t” and “I felt I would be at ease if I confessed.”
At a hearing on March 26 before Criminal Division 21 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Cho Soon-pyo, Lee appeared as a witness and made these statements in response to questions from Kim Keon Hee’s defense attorney. He acknowledged that he had recorded the same account in a sworn statement dated Aug. 9 last year and submitted it to the special prosecutor’s office. Lee said he had given money and gifts to Kim so she could contact him and defend him if he faced unfair accusations, but ultimately he revealed everything to investigators.
When defense lawyer Yoo Jeong-hwa asked whether he submitted the statement after the special prosecutor opened its probe and after Seohui Construction had been searched, Lee answered, “It was before the search and seizure.” Asked whether he had hoped the confession would lead to reduced criminal liability or otherwise work in his favor, Lee described his motives in detail.
Lee said his decision was driven more by health fears and stress than by legal strategy. He testified that anxiety worsened his paroxysmal arrhythmia, sending his pulse to 150–200 beats per minute and requiring emergency treatment. Repeated broadcasts about the jewelry allegations left him unable to sleep; he said he experienced angina and cerebrovascular episodes, which raised his blood pressure and obstructed his blood vessels. “I felt like I was going to die, so I thought confessing would bring me peace of mind,” he said. “Although my lawyer had warned me, my desperate will to live came first, and that’s why I decided to confess.”
Defense lawyer Chae Myung-sung asked whether Lee recalled giving the defendant a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace at a meeting on March 15, 2022, at the Neulbom Welbom restaurant, and whether the defendant had hesitated and declined the gift. Lee said, “I don’t really remember that.”
Chae also asked whether the defendant later opened the shopping bag, realized the gift was more expensive than expected, and considered returning it but decided to keep it temporarily to avoid awkwardness — planning to return it later. Lee replied, “I don’t remember that.” When the judge pressed him to confirm he had never heard such a remark, Lee said, “No, I don’t think so.”
Lee met Kim three times and provided a necklace (55,600,000 KRW, approximately $41,700), a brooch (26,100,000 KRW, approximately $19,600) and a pair of earrings (22,100,000 KRW, approximately $16,600). As controversy over the high-end jewelry intensified, Kim returned the necklace and brooch on July 31, 2023, but did not return the earrings.
