Former Black Pearl Investment CEO Investigated in Kim Geon-hee Case

On July 23, 2025, Lee Jong-ho (이종호), the former CEO of Black Pearl Investment, appeared at the office of Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki (민중기) in Jongno, Seoul, to be questioned regarding allegations involving Kim Geon-hee (김건희), the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열). During the investigation, the special prosecutor's team also conducted a confrontation with Lee Jeong-pil (이정필), a co-conspirator in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, who reportedly testified that money was exchanged alongside requests for judicial favors.

According to reports, the special prosecutor summoned Lee Jong-ho at 10 AM and conducted a thorough 12-hour interrogation. From 3:30 PM, they spent about five hours questioning him alongside Lee Jeong-pil. The focus was on verifying whether Lee Jeong-pil had indeed solicited a lighter sentence in exchange for money, as he had claimed.

Lee Jong-ho faces allegations of receiving a total of 83.9 million won (approximately $70,000) over 25 instances from June 2022 to February 2023, which is a violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act. He has submitted alibi evidence, claiming that he was at a different location on the dates specified by the special prosecutor, thus denying the charges based on Lee Jeong-pil's statements. Previously, Lee Jeong-pil had stated that while he met with Lee Jong-ho, there were no financial transactions or requests for judicial favors.

The special prosecutor is also investigating whether Kim Geon-hee was aware of the confirmed guilt of Lee Jong-ho in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, as well as any involvement from either Kim Geon-hee or Lee Jong-ho in the alleged stock manipulation of Samboo Construction and the pressure on customs investigations related to drug cases involving Police Commissioner Jo Byeong-no (조병노).