Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee
Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at the special counsel’s office in central Seoul, Wednesday, for questioning as a criminal suspect. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Korea’s special counsel investigating Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, filed for an arrest warrant on Thursday, accusing the former first lady of stock manipulation and bribery.
If granted, the warrant would mark a first in Korea’s constitutional history, making Kim the first former first lady to face arrest.
The request was submitted to the Seoul Central District Court by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki’s office, who cited violations of the Capital Markets Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
Kim was questioned for around 12 hours on Wednesday regarding allegations that she manipulated the stock price of Deutsche Motors, a BMW dealership. Prosecutors say her alleged crimes are serious and that there is a risk of evidence being tampered with.