SEOUL, South Korea. Kim Keon Hee, wife of jailed former president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested on multiple charges, including stock manipulation, bribery, and election interference.
Kim, 52, denied all accusations during a four-hour court hearing on Tuesday, but the Seoul court granted a detention warrant, citing risks of evidence tampering. This marks the first time in South Korea’s history that both a former president and first lady have been imprisoned.
Yoon was detained in January over an alleged attempt to impose martial law last year, which led to political turmoil and his removal from office.
Prosecutors allege Kim earned over 800 million won ($577,940) through a price-fixing scheme involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in the country. She is also accused of accepting luxury gifts, including Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace, from the Unification Church in exchange for business favors.
Additional charges include influencing candidate nominations during the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and the 2023 general elections.
Kim appeared in court wearing a black suit and skirt, telling reporters, “I sincerely apologise for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance.”
While in office, Yoon vetoed three opposition-backed bills seeking a special counsel investigation into Kim’s alleged crimes. A special counsel was only formed in June after his political rival, Lee Jae Myung, became president.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
