South Korean ex-first lady Kim Keon-hee arrested amid bribery probe
She and husband Yoon Suk-yeol are the country’s first presidential couple to be simultaneously arrested over criminal allegations
In granting a special prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant near midnight, the Seoul Central District Court said Kim posed a risk of destroying evidence.
The investigation into Kim is one of three special prosecutor probes launched under Seoul’s new liberal government targeting the presidency of Yoon, a conservative who was removed from office in April and rearrested last month over his brief imposition of martial law in December.
While Yoon’s self-inflicted downfall extended a decades-long run of South Korean presidencies ending badly, he and Kim are the first presidential couple to be simultaneously arrested over criminal allegations.
Yoon’s surprising yet poorly planned power grab on December 3 came amid a seemingly routine stand-off with the liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces abusing their legislative majority to block his agenda.