A court in South Korea has ordered the arrest of Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, making her the first former first lady in the country’s history to be taken into custody.
The decision by the Seoul Central District Court marks an unprecedented moment, as both members of a former presidential couple are now simultaneously in detention.
Yoon Suk Yeol returned to prison in July amid an investigation into an alleged failed attempt to declare a state of emergency in December last year. Meanwhile, Kim faces serious charges, including stock manipulation involving Deutsch Motors between 2009 and 2012, generating profits exceeding 800 million won (around £428,000).
She is also accused of receiving over 270 million won in illegal political funds through free polling services, allegedly used to influence the selection of candidates from the conservative People Power Party during the 2022 by-elections. The third charge relates to accepting luxury gifts — including Chanel handbags and expensive jewelry — from the Unification Church, allegedly in exchange for favorable treatment of development projects in Cambodia.
Judge Jeong Jae-wook justified the arrest on grounds of a “risk of evidence destruction.” Kim has denied all allegations, claiming that “even matters from before my marriage are being brought up.”
The former first lady will be held at the Nambu Detention Center in southwestern Seoul, separate from her husband, who has been in another facility since July. Kim Keon Hee has been a controversial figure during Yoon’s presidency, embroiled in scandals such as the infamous “Dior bag” incident, and recently had her academic titles revoked over plagiarism.
