Criminal proceedings against ex-presidential couple gain steam

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee are seen leaving the presidential residence in Seoul’s Yongsan District, Friday, one week after the Constitutional Court removed Yoon from office. Joint Press Corps

Criminal proceedings against former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee are accelerating, with Yoon set to appear in court on Monday for his first hearing on insurrection charges.

Yoon, who was indicted Jan. 26 on insurrection charges related to his martial law declaration, will appear at the Seoul Central District Court for his first official hearing at 10 a.m.

His attendance is mandatory, as defendants are required to be present during criminal trial hearings. The court has heightened security measures in response to potential rallies near the courthouse. He is expected to enter the building via an underground parking lot for safety reasons.

The court has barred the media from photographing him at the courtroom — a departure from past practices, where criminal proceedings involving former presidents were at least partially open to the press.

The disgraced former president stands accused of being the ringleader of an insurrection, a charge that carries the possibility of life imprisonment or a death sentence under criminal law.

While the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment on April 4, acknowledging the unconstitutionality of his martial law declaration, this ruling does not guarantee a criminal conviction. Criminal trials are conducted separately from impeachment proceedings and carry a higher burden of evidence.

The first hearing will include testimony by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, both of whom previously stated that they opposed Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law declaration. Key military officials who were deployed to the National Assembly during the emergency military rule and allegedly received orders to remove lawmakers are also expected to testify.

The court is also expected to deliberate on whether to merge Yoon’s trial with related cases involving key figures behind the martial law declaration, such as former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who has been charged with participating in an insurrection.

The entrance to the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul's Seocho District is seen Sunday, a day before the court is scheduled to hold the first hearing in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s insurrection trial. Yonhap

With Yoon now stripped of political power, prosecutors are expected to accelerate their investigation into his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

Throughout Yoon’s nearly three-year presidency, a series of political scandals involving his wife — including allegations of election interference and corruption — faced intense public scrutiny. However, the investigation moved slowly while she was first lady.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has been investigating Kim’s alleged involvement in election interference tied to self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun, who was indicted in December for violating the Public Official Election Act.

Prosecutors questioned Myung on Thursday and Friday, a move some observers interpreted as a sign that a formal summons for Kim could be imminent.

Kim is accused of interfering in candidate nominations during the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

Yoon and Kim are suspected of receiving opinion polling services from a polling agency effectively run by Myung during the 2022 presidential campaign. In return, they allegedly helped Kim Young-sun, a former lawmaker from the conservative People Power Party, secure the party’s nomination for a parliamentary by-election in Changwon. The former lawmaker is said to have paid Myung for his services.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, wearing a baseball cap reading "Make Korea Great Again," greets supporters gathered near the presidential residence in Seoul's Yongsan District, Friday, as he departs the premises. Joint Press Corps

Should Kim be summoned in the ongoing probe, prosecutors are expected to question her at their office this time, rather than at an off-site location as they did last year.

In July 2024, prosecutors questioned Kim in a discreet location over allegations involving her acceptance of a luxury handbag and a high-profile stock manipulation case linked to Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealership. The move sparked public backlash, with critics viewing it as preferential treatment given to the first lady.

With Kim no longer holding that title, investigative authorities are likely to summon her to the prosecutors' office.

If Yoon and Kim’s involvement is confirmed, they could face charges related to political funds and breaches of election laws for public officials.