Kim Keon Hee (C), wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is approached by reporters as she appears at the office of special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team in Seoul on Aug. 6, 2025, to be questioned about her alleged involvement in stock manipulation schemes, election meddling and other allegations. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – A special counsel team requested an arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Thursday, a day after questioning her over allegations of election meddling and other irregularities.
Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team said it filed for the warrant on charges of violations of the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation.
“We requested it upon determining that the criteria for an arrest warrant were met,” assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee said during a press briefing.
A hearing on whether to issue the warrant will be held at the Seoul Central District Court next Tuesday, according to legal sources.
Kim, the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, appeared at the special counsel’s office Wednesday to undergo questioning over her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections, and bribe taking in exchange for business favors for the Unification Church.
The charges listed on the arrest warrant are believed to be in connection with those allegations.
She was also reportedly grilled about the omission of a high-end necklace from a legally required asset disclosure, but the charge linked to that was not included on the warrant.
Kim is said to have largely denied the allegations against her.
Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the criteria for arrest include concerns about the destruction of evidence and the risk of flight.
Min’s team is tasked with investigating a total of 16 criminal allegations against the former first lady.
(Yonhap)
