Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested late Tuesday in a sweeping investigation into allegations ranging from stock manipulation to bribery, prosecutors confirmed.
The Seoul Central District Court approved an arrest warrant for Kim, marking the first time in the nation’s history that both a former president and his spouse have been detained simultaneously. Kim also becomes the first former South Korean first lady ever to be arrested.
The charges under scrutiny include accusations that Kim accepted a luxury handbag and necklace, as well as involvement in a stock manipulation scheme between 2009 and 2012. The “Dior bag scandal,” which erupted early last year, became a political flashpoint that contributed to Yoon’s downfall.
Her arrest comes four months after Yoon was ousted over a failed attempt to impose martial law — an episode that stunned the nation and led to his impeachment. Yoon, arrested last month, and Kim are being held in separate detention centers.
Kim apologized publicly before questioning last week but has denied wrongdoing, according to Yonhap News. Her legal team has not commented on the arrest.
Yoon’s political troubles deepened after last year’s parliamentary elections, where his party suffered a crushing defeat amid intensifying scrutiny of the Dior scandal. The loss weakened his administration and paved the way for a snap presidential election in June.
