KLIK SAJA — The wife of imprisoned former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested on multiple charges, including stock manipulation and bribery.
Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee denied all allegations during a tense four-hour court hearing in Seoul on Tuesday.
The case has gripped public attention across South Korea.
Despite her denials, the court issued a detention warrant, citing the risk that she could tamper with evidence.
South Korea has a long history of ex-presidents being indicted and jailed.
However, this marks the first time that both a former president and a former first lady have been imprisoned at the same time.
Yoon was detained in January to stand trial for an alleged failed military coup last year — an event that plunged the nation into chaos and ultimately led to his ouster.
Prosecutors claim Kim, 52, pocketed more than 800 million won (about $577,000) through a price-rigging scheme involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealership in South Korea.
Although the alleged misconduct occurred before Yoon’s presidency, the scandal loomed over his time in office.
Kim is also accused of accepting two Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace as bribes from the controversial Unification Church in exchange for business favors.
Prosecutors further allege that she meddled in candidate selections during the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and last year’s general elections.
Kim appeared somber in court, dressed in a black suit and skirt. Known during her husband’s presidency for her lavish and glamorous lifestyle, she was often in the public eye.
The couple’s dramatic fall from power — marked by high public pressure and political turbulence — has now landed them both behind bars.
The scandal has also drawn international attention, as South Korea’s political instability ripples through East Asian trade and regional affairs.