Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Arrested on Graft and Manipulation Charges
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Arrested on Graft and Manipulation Charges
SEOUL, South Korea – In a dramatic development, a South Korean court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Kim Keon Hee, wife of the jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as investigators move to press charges in connection with a wide array of suspected crimes. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Ms. Kim late on Tuesday.
The arrest marks a significant escalation in the legal troubles surrounding the former presidential couple, making them the first in South Korean history to be simultaneously detained on criminal allegations. Ms. Kim faces accusations including bribery, stock manipulation, and undue influence in the selection of a political candidate.
This investigation is one of three special prosecutor probes initiated by Seoul’s new liberal government targeting the administration of the conservative ex-President Yoon. Yoon himself was removed from office in April and subsequently rearrested last month following his contentious imposition of martial law in December.
Ms. Kim appeared at the Seoul court on Tuesday for an hours-long hearing on the warrant request, though she did not speak to reporters. She is now being held at a detention center in southern Seoul, separate from her husband.
Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki’s team, appointed in June by liberal President Lee Jae Myung, questioned Ms. Kim for approximately seven hours last Wednesday before seeking the arrest warrant. During her brief public appearance last week, Kim offered a vague apology for causing public concern but suggested she would deny the allegations, describing herself as “someone insignificant.”
Investigators suspect Ms. Kim and former President Yoon exerted improper influence over the conservative People Power Party to nominate a specific candidate in a 2022 legislative by-election. This alleged meddling was reportedly at the behest of election broker Myung Tae-kyun, who is accused of using manipulated data in opinion surveys to aid Yoon’s presidential primary victory.
Further allegations against Ms. Kim include receiving luxury gifts through a fortuneteller from a Unification Church official seeking business favors, and potential involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme linked to a local BMW dealership company. While in office, former President Yoon consistently dismissed calls for investigations into his wife, branding them as politically motivated attacks.
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