South Korea's former first lady arrested on corruption charges
What's the story
Kim Keon Hee, the wife of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested on corruption charges. The arrest came after a Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant, citing concerns over possible evidence tampering. This is the first time that a former president and former first lady have been imprisoned. Yoon was detained in January to stand trial over a failed martial law bid last year that threw South Korea into disarray and eventually his ouster.
Legal proceedings
What are the charges against Kim
The charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws. She is accused of making over 800 million won through stock price manipulation at Deutsch Motors, a local BMW dealership, between 2009 and 2012. Further allegations include receiving illegal political funding worth over 270 million won and accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church in exchange for influence favorable to its business interests.
Family legal troubles
Kim to be held in separate cell from husband Yoon
Kim was questioned for over seven hours by investigators last week before the arrest warrant was sought. She will be held at Nambu detention center in southwestern Seoul, separate from her husband Yoon, who has been in custody since July. During her court appearance, Kim denied all charges and expressed frustration over personal matters being scrutinized. At the same time, she issued an apology "for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance."
Bills
Yoon vetoed 3 opposition-led bills calling for probe
During his presidency, Yoon vetoed three opposition-led bills calling for a special counsel probe into allegations against Kim. He issue the final veto in November, a week before declaring martial law. But after Yoon's adversary Lee Jae Myung took office as president in June of this year, a special counsel was appointed. The counsel was established to investigate 16 criminal allegations against Kim. However, Wednesday's arrest warrant only covered three charges.