Interrogation ends early after ex-first lady exercises right to remain silent
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee arrives at the Seoul Central District Court to attend her arrest warrant hearing in Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
A special counsel team said its questioning of Kim Keon Hee ended early Thursday after the former first lady exercised her right to remain silent on most of the charges raised against her.
Kim had appeared at special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul to undergo questioning for the first time since her arrest earlier this week over corruption charges.
"We questioned suspect Kim Keon Hee about illegal election interference and nomination interference," assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju said at a press briefing.
"The suspect exercised her right to remain silent on most of the charges," he continued. "The suspect refused to testify, so it ended early."
Kim was brought to the special counsel's office in a prison van after departing Seoul Southern Detention Center in handcuffs, according to correctional authorities. The van used the underground parking route, hiding her from public view.
The interrogation ran from around 10 a.m. to noon and then paused before resuming from around 1:30 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.
Moon said the special prosecutors plan to summon Kim to appear for further questioning next Monday.
The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul on Wednesday after a court issued a warrant to arrest her on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favors.
On Thursday, the special prosecutors grilled Kim about the election meddling case, which centers on allegations the former presidential couple received free opinion polls from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2022 presidential election in exchange for securing the nomination of former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun for a parliamentary by-election later that year.