Kim Keon Hee: South Korea’s ex-first lady arrested in bribery probe
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Kim Keon Hee: South Korea’s ex-first lady arrested in bribery probe
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee denied all charges during a four-hour court hearing in Seoul on Tuesday. But the court issued a detention warrant, citing the risk that she may destroy evidence.
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee denied all charges during a four-hour court hearing in Seoul on Tuesday. But the court issued a detention warrant, citing the risk that she may destroy evidence.
South Korea has a history of former presidents being indicted and imprisoned. However, this is the first time both the former president and former first lady have been jailed.
Yoon was detained in January to face trial over a failed martial law bid last year that plunged the country into chaos and eventually led to his ouster.
South Korea’s former first lady arrested after court issues warrant on corruption charges
Kim Keon Hee, the wife of impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested on corruption charges, a special prosecutor leading a wide-reaching probe said. The charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws. She denies the charges and will be held at Nambu detention centre in south-western Seoul. Her husband was sent back into detention in July as prosecutors investigate his failed attempt to impose martial law in December last year. Kim reportedly expressed frustration about her personal affairs being scrutinised, telling the judge she was “upset that even issues from before my marriage keep being brought up”
The arrest, which came after a Seoul central district court ruling, creates an unprecedented situation in which both members of a former presidential couple are simultaneously in custody.
The court granted the warrant citing the risk of tampering with evidence, according to Yonhap news agency. “The arrest warrant against Kim has been issued,” the prosecutors said in a brief statement.
The charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws. She denies the charges.
Yoon Suk Yeol was sent back into detention in July as prosecutors investigate his failed attempt to impose martial law in December last year.
A special counsel was established after Lee Jae Myung was elected president in June to investigate 16 criminal allegations against Kim. However, Wednesday’s arrest warrant covered only three charges.
View image in fullscreen Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol arriving at Seoul central district court in July. Photograph: Yonhap/EPA
Prosecutors allege she made over 800 million won (£428,000) through manipulating the stock prices of Deutsch Motors, a local BMW dealership, between 2009 and 2012, by conspiring with others to artificially inflate shares.
She is also accused of receiving over 270 million won worth of illegal political funding through free opinion polling services, and using this to influence candidate selections for the conservative People Power party in the country’s 2022 byelections.
The third charge involves accepting luxury gifts including Chanel handbags and expensive jewellery from the Unification Church through a shaman intermediary, in exchange for favourable treatment of development projects in Cambodia.
Kim was questioned for over seven hours by investigators last week before the arrest warrant was sought.
On issuing the warrant, judge Jeong Jae-wook cited “concerns about evidence destruction” as the primary reason for detention, according to Yonhap News. Kim had spent four and a half hours in court, where she denied all charges against her.
During the hearing, Kim reportedly expressed frustration about her personal affairs being scrutinised, telling the judge she was “upset that even issues from before my marriage keep being brought up”.
She will be held at Nambu detention centre in south-western Seoul, separate from her husband, who has been in custody at Seoul detention centre since July.
Once considered to wield enormous influence behind the scenes during her husband’s presidency, the former arts exhibition company executive was embroiled in a series of issues throughout his term, including the infamous Dior bag scandal, which prosecutors are now also reinvestigating.
In recent weeks, her master’s and doctoral degrees were both revoked over thesis plagiarism.
South Korea Arrests Wife of Impeached Former President Yoon
Kim Keon Hee is accused of stock fraud, bribery and influence peddling. She is the wife of impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol. The 52-year-old has denied the accusations against her, according to a special prosecutor. Kim’s husband Yoon, too, faces trial following his ouster in April due to a failed bid to impose martial law. His insurrection charges could be punished by life in jail or even a death sentence.
The charges against the wife of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol include stock fraud, bribery and influence peddling, charges punishable by years in prison.
The 52-year-old has denied the accusations against her, according to a special prosecutor leading the investigation.
Kim underwent hours-long questioning last week, with the prosecutors filing for her arrest warrant the day afterwards.
“I sincerely apologize for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance,” Kim said upon arrival at the prosecutors’ office.
What are the allegations against Kim Keon Hee?
One of the charges against Kim came as a result of an incident in 2022, when she attended a NATO summit with her husband wearing a luxury Van Cleef pendant reportedly worth $43,000 (€37,000).
The item was not listed in the couple’s financial disclosure as the local law requires.
Kim said the luxury pendant was a fake bought 20 years ago in Hong Kong, with the prosecution found that the piece of jewelry was in fact genuine.
Additionally, Kim is accused of receiving two Chanel bags valued at 14,500 US dollars, as well as a diamond necklace, as a bribe from a religious group in return for influence regarding the group’s business interests.
The prosecution ordered that Kim be arrested due to fears she would destroy evidence and interfere with the investigation, the spokesperson said.
Kim’s husband Yoon, too, faces trial following his ouster in April due to a failed bid to impose martial law in South Korea. His insurrection charges could be punished by life in jail or even a death sentence.
Editor’s Choice: South Korea: Arrest Warrant Sought for Ex-First Lady Kim
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South Korea’s ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee arrested for corruption
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee was arrested late on Tuesday over a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption. The arrest came hours after the Seoul Central District Court reviewed the prosecutors’ arrest warrant request against the 52-year-old.
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South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee arrives at Seoul Central District Court. Photo / Jung Ung Yeon-Je, AFP
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee was arrested late on Tuesday over a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption, prosecutors said.
The arrest came hours after the Seoul Central District Court reviewed the prosecutors’ arrest warrant request against the 52-year-old, further compounding her legal jeopardy with physical custody.
The court granted the warrant, citing the risk of tampering with evidence, according to Yonhap news agency.
With the arrest, South Korea now has a former president and first lady both behind bars – the first such case in the nation’s history.
Charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws.
S. Korea’s ex-first lady Kim arrested: prosecutors
Kim Keon Hee was arrested late Tuesday over a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption, prosecutors said. The arrest came hours after the Seoul Central District Court reviewed the prosecutors’ arrest warrant request against the 52-year-old. The court granted the warrant, citing the risk of tampering with evidence, according to Yonhap news agency. With the arrest, South Korea now has a former president and first lady both behind bars — the first such case in the nation’s history.
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee was arrested late Tuesday over a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption, prosecutors said.
The arrest came hours after the Seoul Central District Court reviewed the prosecutors’ arrest warrant request against the 52-year-old, further compounding her legal jeopardy with physical custody.
The court granted the warrant, citing the risk of tampering with evidence, according to Yonhap news agency.
With the arrest, South Korea now has a former president and first lady both behind bars — the first such case in the nation’s history.
“The arrest warrant against Kim has been issued,” the prosecutors said in a brief statement.
The charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws.
The arrest marks a dramatic fall for the ex-first couple after former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration on December 3, which saw fully armed soldiers deployed to parliament but was swiftly voted down by opposition MPs.
Yoon, a former top prosecutor, was impeached and removed from office in April over his martial law declaration, prompting the country to hold a snap election in June.
He has been under arrest and in detention over his martial law declaration.
Last week, Kim underwent hours-long questioning by prosecutors, who filed for her arrest warrant the following day.
“I sincerely apologise for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance,” Kim said as she arrived at the prosecutors’ office on Wednesday.
Controversy has long surrounded Kim, with lingering questions about her alleged role in stock manipulation.
A video filmed in 2022 showing her accepting a Dior handbag from a self-proclaimed fan reignited public criticism.
She is also accused of interfering in the nomination process for MPs in Yoon’s party, a violation of election laws.
Yoon, as president, vetoed three special investigation bills passed by the opposition-controlled parliament that sought to probe the allegations against Kim, with the last veto issued in late November.
A week later, Yoon declared martial law.