Noh So-young, director of the Art Center Nabi and daughter of former President Roh Tae-woo, is undergoing her third investigation by prosecutors regarding allegations of slush funds linked to her father.
According to legal sources on September 20, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Asset Recovery Division has summoned Noh for questioning and is coordinating her appearance schedule. Prosecutors plan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the creation of slush funds mentioned in the so-called 'Kim Ok-sook Memo,' which Noh submitted during her divorce appeal against SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in 2024.
Last month, on August 21, prosecutors conducted searches at the residence of Kim Ok-sook, the wife of the late president, in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, as well as at the East Asia Cultural Foundation, where Noh's brother, Noh Jae-hun, serves as chairman, and the Roh Tae-woo Center. It is reported that officials from the East Asia Cultural Foundation and former aides suspected of using proxy accounts were also summoned for questioning.
The 'Kim Ok-sook Memo,' which Noh revealed during the divorce proceedings, has provided prosecutors with a basis for further investigation. Noh submitted a handwritten notebook allegedly written by her mother between 1998 and 1999 as evidence in the second trial of her divorce case against Chey.
This evidence has prompted prosecutors to renew their efforts to recover slush funds. Kim Ok-sook's family claimed they had no money while failing to pay a fine of 88.4 billion won (approximately $74 million) in 2000-2001, yet they reportedly paid 21 billion won in insurance premiums under a proxy name and donated 15.2 billion won to the East Asia Cultural Foundation, which her son chairs. In October 2024, the May 18 Memorial Foundation and others filed a complaint with prosecutors, alleging that Kim, Noh Jae-hun, and Noh So-young concealed slush funds and evaded taxes.
This is not the first time Noh has faced questioning by prosecutors. She has previously been investigated for a case involving the unreported transfer of $200,000 to the United States and for bribery allegations related to former Defense Minister Lee Yang-ho.
In February 1990, while studying at Stanford University, Noh was indicted for bringing $200,000 into the U.S. without declaring it to customs. In January 1993, she received a one-year suspended prison sentence. The prosecutor at the time claimed the funds originated from Korean political circles and were funneled through a Swiss bank before being brought to the U.S. However, the court considered that Noh was unaware of any illegality and voluntarily appeared at the sentencing hearing, leading to the confiscation of the $200,000.
As a result of this case, Noh underwent two rounds of questioning by prosecutors in South Korea. In 1994, she explained that the funds came from wedding gifts, and in 1995, during an investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, she stated that she only received money for living expenses from her father and was unaware of any Swiss accounts.
In 1996, Noh was again brought under scrutiny when it was revealed that former Minister Lee Yang-ho had given her a diamond ring and necklace worth 36 million won in August 1992, raising suspicions of bribery for promotion. Noh's side claimed they returned the jewelry two days later, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office subsequently closed the investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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