Former South Korean First Lady Arrested with Ex-President for Corruption

Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady of South Korea and wife of jailed ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested on multiple corruption charges including stock manipulation, illegal political funding, bribery, and election interference. The Seoul Central District Court approved her arrest warrant due to fears she might destroy evidence, making them the first former presidential couple to be detained simultaneously in South Korea's history. Prosecutors allege she conspired to inflate stock prices of Deutsch Motors, received luxury gifts from the Unification Church via a shaman in exchange for business favors, and meddled in candidate nominations for elections. Kim is currently held in solitary confinement at the Seoul Nambu Detention Center, while her husband is detained separately for his failed martial law attempt in December. The special prosecutor investigation, initiated under liberal President Lee Jae Myung, accuses Kim of a total of 16 offenses, though the warrant specifically covers three charges. The scandal has intensified political tensions, with allegations that Yoon's actions while in office were partly aimed at protecting Kim from scrutiny.