South Korea’s Former First Lady Arrested on Corruption Charges
Kim Keon Hee, wife of South Korea’s imprisoned former president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested on multiple charges including stock manipulation, bribery, and political interference.
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During a four-hour court session in Seoul on Tuesday, the 52-year-old denied all allegations. However, the court approved her detention, citing concerns she might destroy evidence.
Her arrest marks a historic first for South Korea — both a former president and first lady jailed at the same time. Yoon has been in custody since January, facing trial over an attempted martial law coup last year that plunged the nation into turmoil and led to his removal from office.
Prosecutors allege Kim earned more than 800 million won (about $578,000) through a stock price-rigging scheme involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea. Although the alleged scheme began before Yoon’s presidency, it reportedly continued to haunt his time in office.
Kim is also accused of accepting luxury gifts — two Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace — from the controversial Unification Church in return for business favors. Additional charges include meddling in candidate selections during the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and last year’s general elections.
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Dressed in a black suit and skirt, Kim appeared solemn at the hearing, telling reporters, “I sincerely apologize for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance.”
While president, Yoon blocked three opposition-led bills calling for a special counsel probe into allegations against his wife, the last veto coming just a week before declaring martial law. That special counsel was finally appointed in June, shortly after political rival Lee Jae Myung assumed the presidency.
