At first it was reported that she was "negotiating her appearance" at investigator offices. Now she's flatly ignoring the subpoena. Normally, an arrest warrant would be applied for in this instance. However, Kim Gon-hee appears to be above the law, as prosecutors appear to be letting the matter slide. The other five suspects are already in jail. Deutsche Motors was a single car dealership that somehow became a public offering on the Korean stock market. It is alleged that Kim obtained thousands of shares in an off market transaction. It has the appearance of having been a pump and dump scheme.

The handling of the case again raises the matter of the politicization of the prosecution offices in South Korea. The current prosecutor general raised the issue of "outside influence" on the independent function of prosecution offices. The office of prosecutors throughout South Korea are obviously polarized politically since Yoon was forced out as Prosecutor General by a disciplinary hearing and a new law that required a one year "cooling off" period for non-elected public officials before they could run for office. Until a definitive outcome for Yoon's campaign for the presidency, many lawyers and judges appear reluctant to make decisions adversely affecting his interests. This is motivated primarily by fear according to observers critical of the South Korean press and judicial system.

A report today indicated that Yoon now wants the debate delayed until January 31. This would allow time for campaign damage control public relations to take effect. One of the strategies is to minimize and dispute the characterizations of Kim in the recorded converstations, to initiate a criminal investigation of the Voice of Seoul reporter, and to release derogatory information about the rival candidate Lee Jae-myung, from family members who have grudges against him, and regurgitation of the Daejangdong real estate scandal from his days as mayor. It is alleged that Lee is a hot head and verbally abusive. Reportedly there is a recording of an outburst in an ongoing family dispute.