A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for the wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. She is accused of bribery, fraud and election interference, Korean media reported on Wednesday.
The investigation into South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee is one of three special prosecutor investigations launched by the country’s new leadership. The liberal party is currently in power, while former President Yoon belonged to the conservative party.
Although Yoon’s downfall through his own fault was a continuation of South Korea’s long string of unsuccessful presidencies, he and Kim became the first presidential couple to be arrested on criminal charges at the same time.
Kim Keon Hee did not speak to journalists outside the Seoul court where she arrived for a hearing. The former first lady was taken to a detention centre in southern Seoul, separate from the facility where Yoon is being held. She was questioned for about seven hours before the decision to arrest her was made.
Kim briefly spoke to reporters during questioning last week, offering a vague apology for causing public concern but also hinting that she would deny the charges against her.
Meanwhile, investigators believe that Kim and Yoon exerted undue influence on the conservative party to nominate a specific candidate for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
In addition, Kim Keon Hee is accused of numerous corruption offences – investigators believe she received lavish gifts from officials in exchange for lobbying on their behalf. Furthermore, the former president’s wife may have been involved in a share price manipulation scheme.
While in office, Yoon repeatedly rejected calls for an investigation into his wife, calling them baseless political attacks.
Yoon was removed from office after a failed attempt to impose martial law in the country in December last year. He justified his decision by his desire to “protect the constitutional order” and avoid “threats from North Korean communist forces.”
The leader of the opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, did not agree with the introduction of martial law. He called on members of his party to gather in the parliament building. Later, the republic’s parliament voted to lift martial law.
Later, South Korean police launched an investigation against Yoon for organising a coup, and South Korea’s opposition party initiated impeachment proceedings against Yoon.
On December 14, parliament supported the president’s impeachment, and on December 31, a court issued an arrest warrant for him. He was arrested only in mid-January on the second attempt.
At the end of January, prosecutors officially charged the suspended president, Yoon. In June, a new president was elected in South Korea.
