South Korea’s former first lady arrested on stock fraud, bribery charges
By DL News
Published
1 min read
The 52-year-old, who has denied all charges, appeared before a Seoul court for four hours on Tuesday. Judges approved a detention warrant citing fears she might tamper with evidence.
Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been taken into custody over multiple allegations including stock manipulation, bribery, and political interference.
The 52-year-old, who has denied all charges, appeared before a Seoul court for four hours on Tuesday. Judges approved a detention warrant citing fears she might tamper with evidence. Her arrest marks a historic first for the country — both a former president and first lady now behind bars.
Prosecutors accuse Kim of making over 800 million won (about $578,000) through a price-rigging scheme involving shares of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealership, before Yoon took office. She is also alleged to have accepted luxury gifts — including two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace — from the Unification Church in exchange for business favours.
Additional charges involve influencing candidate selections during the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and last year’s general elections.
Dressed in a black suit and skirt, Kim told reporters, “I sincerely apologise for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance.”
Her husband, Yoon, is already in custody awaiting trial over a failed martial law attempt in 2024. During his presidency, he repeatedly blocked opposition-led bills seeking a special counsel probe into Kim’s affairs. That investigation only commenced in June after his political rival Lee Jae Myung became president.
