South Korean Court Arrests Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee for Corruption

A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for Kim Keon Hee, wife of the impeached and jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the first time a former first lady has been detained on criminal charges in the country. Kim faces multiple allegations, including bribery, stock manipulation, election meddling, and accepting luxury gifts in exchange for business favors, with prosecutors citing risks of evidence destruction. She was taken into custody and transferred to a detention center in Seoul, while her husband, who was ousted in April and rearrested last month for attempting to impose martial law, remains detained separately. The couple is the first in South Korean history to be simultaneously arrested over criminal allegations linked to corruption and political interference. Investigations also suggest they pressured the conservative People Power Party to select a specific candidate in a 2022 by-election, allegedly aided by manipulated opinion polls. Both Kim and her legal team have denied the accusations, with Kim appealing for a fair judgment and disputing claims about luxury gifts being bribes.