SEOUL – Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee has been arrested after a court issued a warrant for her detention late Tuesday, marking a dramatic development in a sweeping corruption investigation that she has denied.
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| South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant, in Seoul. |
The arrest makes Kim the only former first lady in South Korea's history to be taken into custody. Her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is already detained as he faces trial following his impeachment in April over an unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kim, dressed in a black suit, bowed before entering the courthouse for a hearing but did not answer reporters' questions or make a statement. As is customary, she was moved to a detention center in Seoul to await the court's decision after the hearing concluded.
A special prosecutor, appointed in early June to lead the wide-ranging probe, confirmed in a brief statement that the court had approved the arrest warrant. No further details were provided by the prosecutor's office.
The allegations against Kim, which carry potential penalties of several years in prison, range from stock fraud and bribery to illegal influence-peddling involving business leaders, religious figures, and a political power broker.
Among the specific accusations, she is alleged to have violated disclosure laws regarding a luxury Van Cleef & Arpels pendant, reportedly worth over 60 million won ($43,000), which she wore while attending a NATO summit with her husband in 2022. The item was allegedly not listed in the couple's legally required financial disclosures.
Kim is also accused of accepting bribes, including two Chanel bags valued at 20 million won and a diamond necklace, from a religious group in exchange for wielding her influence to benefit the group's business interests.
During the hearing, the prosecution argued for Kim's arrest, citing the risk that she could destroy evidence and obstruct the investigation, a spokesperson for the special prosecutor's team said in a briefing. According to the Yonhap news agency, the court accepted the argument regarding the risk of evidence tampering.
In her defense, Kim told prosecutors that the pendant she wore was a counterfeit purchased 20 years ago in Hong Kong, spokesperson Oh Jeong-hee stated. However, the prosecution maintains the item was genuine and was given to Kim by a domestic construction company during the summit.
Kim's lawyers did not offer an immediate comment on Tuesday but have previously denied all allegations against her, dismissing them as baseless speculation.
Meanwhile, her husband, former President Yoon, is on trial for sedition, a charge that can carry a sentence of life in prison or even the death penalty. Yoon, who also faces charges of abuse of power among other accusations, has denied all wrongdoing and has refused to attend his trial hearings or be questioned by prosecutors.
($1 = 1,391.30 won)
