South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, was arrested late Tuesday on a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption, according to prosecutors. The arrest followed a review by the Seoul Central District Court of the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant against the 52-year-old.
The court granted the warrant, citing the risk of evidence tampering, after prosecutors submitted an 848-page document detailing Kim’s alleged “unlawful acts.” This marks the first time in the nation’s history that both a former president and first lady are behind bars simultaneously. The charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws.
The arrest follows a dramatic series of events that began with former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration on December 3, which was swiftly voted down by opposition MPs. Yoon, a former top prosecutor, was impeached and removed from office in April over the declaration, leading to a snap election in June. He has been in detention since July 10.
Last week, Kim underwent hours of questioning by prosecutors, who filed for her arrest warrant the next day. “I sincerely apologize for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance,” Kim said upon her arrival at the prosecutors’ office on Wednesday.
Controversy has long surrounded Kim, with persistent questions about her alleged role in stock manipulation. Public criticism was reignited in 2022 after a left-wing pastor filmed himself giving her a Dior handbag, which she appeared to accept. She is also accused of violating election laws by interfering in the nomination process for MPs in Yoon’s party.
As president, Yoon had vetoed three special investigation bills passed by the opposition-controlled parliament that sought to probe the allegations against Kim, with the last veto issued in late November. A week later, he declared martial law.
Prison Life
Under prison regulations, Kim will be required to change from her regular clothes into a khaki prison uniform and will be assigned an inmate number. She will also have to take a mug shot.
The former first lady is being held in a 10-square-meter solitary cell that has a fan but no air-conditioning, amidst a heat wave in South Korea. According to the prison’s official schedule, she was served a standard breakfast of bread, jam, and sausages. Local media reports that her cell is furnished with a small table for meals and study, a shelf, a sink, and a toilet, but no bed.
While she would typically have been held in the same detention center as her husband, prosecutors requested on Monday that she be detained at a separate facility about 20 kilometers away. Upon the issuance of the warrant, her protection from the Presidential Security Service was immediately terminated.
Legal expert Kim Nam-ju told AFP that Kim could be held for up to 20 days as prosecutors prepare to formally indict her. “Once Kim is indicted, she could remain detained for up to six months,” he said. The former first lady has the option to challenge the warrant in court, but “given the current circumstances, there appears to be a high risk of evidence destruction, making it unlikely that the warrant will be revoked and the individual released,” he added. He also noted that bail would not be granted if there were concerns about the destruction of evidence.
