Investigation accelerates with the detention of Kim Keon Hee
In a historic move, former first lady Kim Keon-hee was arrested in August 2025, marking the first time in South Korean history that a first lady has been detained. The investigation and her arrest are tied to charges of bribery, stock manipulation, election interference, and accepting illicit political funds, alongside allegations of receiving luxury gifts from influential groups such as the Unification Church through intermediaries.
The background of the investigation includes:
- A stock manipulation scheme involving Deutsche Motors.
- Interference in the 2022 parliamentary by-elections, where Kim allegedly exchanged favors with a political fixer, Myung Tae-kyun, to secure favorable opinion polls ahead of her husband’s presidential race.
- Acceptance of luxury gifts, including a high-value Van Cleef & Arpels necklace reportedly given shortly after former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s 2022 election victory, linked through Seohee Construction’s chairman to Kim.
- Broader accusations of influence peddling and bribery in exchange for business advantages.
The investigation into Kim was initiated by a special counsel team on July 2, 2025, examining 16 related allegations. After 41 days of probing, her arrest was ordered on August 12 due to concerns she might destroy evidence. Since then, Kim has been held in solitary confinement at Seoul Southern Detention Center, awaiting trial, having maintained mostly silent responses in interrogations.
Her husband, Yoon Suk-yeol, the impeached former president, was already imprisoned since April 2025 over a controversial and failed martial law decree imposed in December 2024. The simultaneous imprisonment of both a former president and first lady is unprecedented in South Korean history.
Kim has portrayed herself as a victim of political persecution and has appealed for sympathy while in detention, reportedly expressing deep distress over their situation. The case has attracted significant national and international attention, reflecting South Korea’s ongoing struggles with political corruption at the highest levels.
The special counsel team, led by Min Joong-ki, is also investigating corruption ties between Kim and the Unification Church, as well as the church's role in providing funds for Rep. Kweon Seong-dong. The Interior Ministry filed a complaint with police against 21 Gram after the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea announced that 21 Gram violated the Framework Act on the Construction Industry. The team carried out search and seizure operations at 21 Gram, a local interior design firm, which is at the center of controversy over the presidential office’s relocation and expansion. 21 Gram had previously sponsored an exhibition agency run by Kim and designed its office.
The special counsel is also investigating corruption ties between Kim and a high-ranking official, as well as allegations that Myung received about 90 million won from former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun. A Unification Church official is suspected of giving luxury items to a shaman as an intermediary to give to Kim.
Under the Criminal Procedure Act, prosecutors have up to 20 days to conduct their investigation and decide whether to indict Kim. If the special counsel indicts Kim, she could remain in custody for a maximum of 18 months. Kim is scheduled to appear for questioning by the special counsel at 10 a.m. Thursday. She will travel without security personnel, accompanied instead by correctional officers.
The controversy involves claims of unqualified companies receiving preferential treatment during the relocation and expansion of the presidential office, with 21 Gram at the center of the allegations. The raid is a continuation of past efforts by the special counsel to look into alleged election interference involving Myung Tae-kyun and Kim.
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