Solitary cell with mattress on the floor for South Korea’s once powerful ex-first lady
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
South Korea’s ex-First Lady arrested, spends first day in jail sleeping on a mattress on floor
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee will spend her first day in jail on Wednesday. She will receive the same food as the average inmate at a cost of about 1,500 won ($1.08) per meal. Her husband Yoon Suk Yeol is on trial over his botched attempt to impose martial law, an accusation he denies. The former first couple had lived in a spacious apartment in an upscale district of Seoul before Yoon’s election as president in May 2022. They returned there after his ouster for the martial law decree that resulted in a political disaster for him, his party and now for his wife. The couple’s lawyers have denied the accusations against her and dismissed as groundless speculation news reports.
Kim was formally booked into the Seoul Nambu Detention Center on the western edge of the capital, a comparatively new correctional facility that opened in 2011 and one of the few run by a female warden.
She will be treated in the same way as other inmates but will receive minor adjustments in her daily routine given her status as a high-profile figure, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
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Kim was imprisoned after a court approved a warrant for her arrest late on Tuesday on the grounds that she might destroy evidence amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of bribery, stock fraud and influence peddling.
Kim’s lawyers have denied the accusations against her and dismissed as groundless speculation news reports about some of the gifts she allegedly received in return for favours.
Kim apologised for causing concern in the country and called herself “a nobody” as she appeared for questioning last week.
Her solitary cell has a small table that can be used as a desk and for eating meals and a floor mattress to sleep on, said the source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Kim will have separate access to a common shower room and be allowed to exercise outdoors for an hour every day except on Sundays, the time staggered to avoid overlap with other inmates, the source said.
Prison will be an entirely new experience for Kim, unlike for her husband who has already spent about 100 days in jail.
Yoon is on trial over his botched attempt to impose martial law, on charges of insurrection, an accusation he denies. He has been imprisoned at the Seoul Detention Center, which despite its name is outside the capital to the south.
‘POLITICAL MIND’ The former first couple had lived in a spacious apartment in an upscale district of Seoul before Yoon’s election as president in May 2022 and had returned there after his ouster for the martial law decree that resulted in a political disaster for him, his party and now for his wife.
Kim is a wealthy businesswoman in her own right and most of the couple’s assets including the apartment belong to her, according to a government database.
Now, Kim will receive the same food as the average inmate, usually traditional Korean fare prepared at a cost of about 1,500 won ($1.08) per meal. On Wednesday, toast with strawberry jam, sausages and salad were on the menu for breakfast.
A fine art expert who founded and ran a successful curation agency, Kim has been embroiled in a number of scandals before and after her husband’s election in 2022, with the controversies at times overshadowing Yoon’s turbulent presidency.
Her fashion choices and policy lobbying in areas like promoting a ban on eating dog meat made her controversial in a country where a first lady has typically kept a low profile.
Han Dong-soo, a former judge and a prosecutor who worked with Yoon, said Kim had “a politically strategic mind” and was a driving force behind her husband’s ascent to top office.
After she married Yoon when he was 52, Kim became the main influence of practically all of his thinking and decisions, Han said. Kim was 39 when they wed.
Man sentenced to prison for child sex crimes in Gwinnett County
Zachary Mitchell Allen, 43, was sentenced to life with the first 25 years to be served in prison. He must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and can’t have any contact with children. Police first encountered Allen in April 2023 on the social media application Whisper. Allen picked up the 14-year-old girl from a park in Dacula near her middle school and took her to a hotel in Buford.
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A man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated child molestation and sexual exploitation of children in Gwinnett County.
Zachary Mitchell Allen, 43, was sentenced to life with the first 25 years to be served in prison.
He must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and can’t have any contact with children.
“This defendant was a habitual abuser,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “We are pleased with this sentence that will keep him away from having a negative impact on young people.”
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Gwinnett County Police first encountered Allen in April 2023 on the social media application Whisper, where he solicited a 13-year-old girl for sex.
Police arrested Allen and seized his cell phone.
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While searching Allen’s cell phone, police discovered numerous images of child pornography and a note detailing his sexual encounters.
One of these encounters involved a 14-year-old girl whom Allen met online.
Allen picked up the 14-year-old girl from a park in Dacula near her middle school and took her to a hotel in Buford, where he sexually assaulted her.
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Allen was scheduled to go to trial next week but decided to plead guilty to the charges.
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Vero Beach Museum of Art eyes extensive renovations amid growing visitors, hurricane threats
The Vero Beach Museum of Art hopes the project will accommodate its growing number of visitors. The project includes construction of a two-story building on a raised, terraced plateau. The museum will return 1½ acres of green space to city-owned Riverside Park. The City Council unanimously passed the museum’s request to add an additional 0.6 acres to its lease in the park. The current building sits at 7 feet above sea level, and the land around it is only 3 feet below sea level. The 2004 hurrincanes had a maximum storm surge of 6 feet, a scare the museum staff has not forgotten, officials say.. The Museum sees more than 70,000 visitors per year, and is the best-attended small museum in the country.
The museum — established in 1986 at 3001 Riverside Park Drive — hopes the project will accommodate its growing number of visitors and help the museum better withstand major storms.
“Parts of the building are obsolete,” said museum Deputy Director Suzanne Seldes. “The museum needs a purpose-built facility which ensures the safety, security and legacy of our collections and programs.”
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The plan presented to the City Council Aug, 12 includes construction of a two-story building on a raised, terraced plateau; expanding gallery space from 76,000 to 88,000 square feet; adding 12,000 square feet of outdoor program space; creating a pathway to the museum; and adding an additional half-acre of parking.
Moreover, the museum will return 1½ acres of green space to city-owned Riverside Park.
Museum officials did not announce the total cost of the two-year renovation project.
The City Council unanimously passed the museum’s request to add an additional 0.6 acres to its lease in the park.
Design of the new building — created by Allied Works of Portland, Oregon, and Brooklyn, New York — aims to fit in seamlessly with the vibrant surroundings of the park and provide views of the Indian River Lagoon.
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“We want to create an integrated and cohesive structure within Riverside Park,” Vero Beach Museum of Art Executive Director Brady Roberts told the City Council. “We don’t want a cookie-cutter urban design that does not represent Vero Beach.”
Storm-surge scare
The current building sits at 7 feet above sea level, and the land around it is only 3 feet above sea level, making it susceptible to storm surges, said Roberts. The 2004 hurrincanes had a maximum storm surge of 6 feet, a scare the museum staff has not forgotten. The new plateau is expected to be 9 feet above sea level.
The museum’s current buildings were built in 1986 and 1999, and, in addition to their location in a flood plain, require about $500,000 annually in maintenance, officials said.
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Museum officials next are to present a site plan to the Planning and Zoning Board and then return to the City Council for approval. Seldes expects that to take up to eight weeks, during which time fundraising will continue.
Museum representatives said they would wait until after the City Council’s site plan approval before announcing the cost of the project. The museum will pay the entire cost, they said.
The museum sees more than 70,000 visitors per year, and is the best-attended small museum in the country, with a budget of less than $12 million, according to Remuseum, an independent research group which promotes innovation among art museums.
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“Our goal is to see the museum flourish not only now, but into the future,” said Seldes. “This project ensures that.”
Nick Slater is TCPalm’s Indian River County Watchdog reporter. You can reach him at Nick.Slater@tcpalm.com and 224-830-2875.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach Museum of Art eyes two-year renovation project