Former South Korean First Lady Arrested in Corruption Probe

• Aug 13, 2025

The wife of South Korea’s jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested over multiple corruption allegations, including bribery, stock manipulation, and political interference. Kim Keon Hee’s arrest was approved late Tuesday by the Seoul Central District Court, which cited concerns she could destroy evidence.

Kim’s detention marks the first time in South Korean history that both a former president and first lady have been jailed at the same time. The arrest is part of one of three special prosecutor investigations targeting Yoon’s presidency. Yoon, a conservative leader, was removed from office in April and rearrested last month over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

Prosecutors allege that Kim and Yoon pressured the conservative People Power Party to nominate a particular candidate in a 2022 legislative by-election, allegedly at the request of election broker Myung Tae-kyun. Myung is accused of manipulating data in free opinion polls that may have helped Yoon win his party’s presidential primaries.

Kim is also linked to other corruption claims, including allegedly receiving luxury gifts from a Unification Church-linked businessman through a fortuneteller intermediary, and involvement in a stock price manipulation case tied to a BMW dealership. Investigators further suspect that a $43,000 necklace she wore during a 2022 Europe trip was a gift connected to a political appointment, though Kim insists it was a fake.

The investigation, led by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, intensified after Kim’s questioning last week, which lasted seven hours. She was taken into custody at a detention center separate from where Yoon is held and faces further questioning on Thursday. Her detention can be extended up to 20 days before formal charges are filed.

One of Kim’s close associates was also arrested Tuesday after returning from Vietnam, over suspicions he used his ties to her to secure millions in business investments. Investigators have also raided a construction firm linked to the luxury necklace case.

During his presidency, Yoon dismissed calls to investigate his wife, claiming the allegations were politically motivated. However, after taking office in June, new liberal President Lee Jae Myung authorized sweeping probes into Yoon’s martial law declaration, Kim’s alleged crimes, and a 2023 marine’s drowning that the opposition claims Yoon’s government tried to cover up.

Yoon remains in prison, awaiting trial on charges including rebellion, and has refused to answer investigators’ questions about his wife