South Korea's erstwhile archetypal woman Kim Keon Hee arrives astatine the peculiar prosecutor's bureau successful Seoul, South Korea, August 6, 2025.
Kim Hong-Ji | Reuters
South Korea's erstwhile archetypal woman Kim Keon Hee has been arrested aft a tribunal precocious Tuesday issued a warrant to apprehension her pursuing accusations of graft that she denies, a peculiar authoritative starring a wide-reaching probe said.
Kim is South Korea's lone erstwhile archetypal woman to beryllium arrested, joining her husband, ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, successful jailhouse arsenic helium faces proceedings pursuing his ouster successful April implicit a botched bid to enforce martial instrumentality successful December.
Earlier successful the day, Kim, wearing a achromatic suit, bowed arsenic she arrived astatine court, but did not reply reporters' questions oregon marque a statement. After the proceeding ended she near to await the ruling astatine a detention centre successful Seoul, the capital, successful enactment with customary practice.
The tribunal issued the warrant for Kim's detention, the peculiar authoritative appointed successful aboriginal June said successful a little message. The prosecutor's bureau did not supply further details.
The charges against her, punishable by years successful prison, scope from banal fraud to bribery and amerciable power peddling that person implicated concern owners, spiritual figures and a governmental powerfulness broker.
She has been accused of breaking the instrumentality implicit an incidental successful which she wore a luxury Van Cleef pendant reportedly worthy much than 60 cardinal won ($43,000) portion attending a NATO acme with her hubby successful 2022.
The point was not listed successful the couple's fiscal disclosure arsenic required by law, according to the charge.
Kim is besides accused of receiving 2 Chanel bags unneurotic valued astatine 20 cardinal won and a diamond necklace from a spiritual radical arsenic a bribe successful instrumentality for power favourable to its concern interests.
The prosecution sought Kim's apprehension due to the fact that of the hazard of her destroying grounds and interfering with the investigation, a spokesperson for the peculiar prosecutor's squad told a property briefing aft Tuesday's hearing.
The tribunal accepted the statement connected the hazard of destroying evidence, Yonhap quality reported.
The spokesperson, Oh Jeong-hee, said Kim had told prosecutors the pendant she wore was a fake bought 20 years agone successful Hong Kong.
The prosecution said it was genuine, however, and fixed by a home operation institution for Kim to deterioration astatine the summit, Oh said.
Kim's lawyers did not instantly remark connected Tuesday but they person antecedently denied the accusations against her and dismissed arsenic groundless speculation quality reports astir immoderate of the gifts she allegedly received.
Yoon is connected proceedings connected charges of insurrection, which could effect successful beingness imprisonment oregon adjacent the decease penalty.
The erstwhile president, who besides faces charges of maltreatment of powerfulness among others, has denied wrongdoing and refused to be proceedings hearings oregon beryllium questioned by prosecutors.
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