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Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady of South Korea and wife of the ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained late Tuesday on multiple charges including stock market manipulation and corruption, according to prosecutors. The arrest followed a court hearing in Seoul that reviewed a prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant for the 52-year-old.
The court approved the warrant, citing concerns about potential evidence tampering, after prosecutors presented an 848-page report detailing Kim’s alleged illegal activities. With her detention, South Korea marks the unprecedented moment of having both a former president and first lady in custody.
Her charges encompass breaches of laws governing securities trading, financial investments, and political funds. This development signifies a dramatic decline for the former power couple after Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial martial law declaration on December 3, which involved deploying troops to Parliament—a move quickly opposed and rejected by opposition legislators.
Yoon, a former senior prosecutor, was impeached and removed from office in April over the martial law episode, leading to a snap presidential election in June. He has been in custody since July 10. Last week, Kim spent several hours answering prosecutors’ questions before they filed for her arrest the next day.
Addressing the media upon her arrival at the prosecutor’s office, Kim expressed remorse: “I sincerely apologize for causing trouble despite being someone insignificant.” Questions about her suspected role in stock manipulation and political interference have long circulated, also resurfacing publicly when a left-wing pastor filmed her accepting a Dior handbag in 2022.
She is further accused of meddling in candidate nominations within Yoon’s party, an act violating election laws. Yoon, during his presidency, vetoed three bills from the opposition that aimed to investigate allegations against Kim, with the final veto issued in late November. The following week, he announced martial law.
Kim will be processed under prison regulations, changing from civilian clothes into a khaki uniform and receiving an inmate number, along with having her mug shot taken. She is confined in a small, 107-square-foot solitary cell without air conditioning, despite South Korea’s current heat wave. The cell includes basic furnishings such as a small desk, shelf, sink, and toilet, but no bed.
She was offered a standard breakfast of bread, jam, and sausages, as per prison schedules. Though typically held in the same detention center as her husband, recent requests led to her transfer to a separate facility approximately 12.5 miles away. Following the arrest order, her security detail provided by the Presidential Security Service was immediately revoked.
Legal experts estimate she can be held for up to 20 days as authorities prepare to formally charge her, with some suggesting she could remain detained for up to six months once indicted. She retains the right to challenge the warrant, but given the circumstances and evidence concerns, a release appears improbable. Bail might also be considered but is unlikely if there are fears of evidence destruction.
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