South Korean ex-first lady, Kim, apprehended by prosecutors
In a historic turn of events, the former President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, the former First Lady, have been arrested on multiple charges.
The arrest of the former president marks the first time in South Korean history that a former president and first lady are both behind bars. Yoon was arrested over his martial law declaration, a move that led to his impeachment and removal from office in April. Kim, on the other hand, was arrested in August on charges that include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws.
The Seoul Central District Court granted an arrest warrant for Kim, a businesswoman and CEO of an art exhibition company, following a week of intense investigations. Prosecutors filed for her arrest warrant the day after her questioning, which lasted for several hours last week.
Kim is accused of manipulating the stock price of Deutsche Motors, a BMW dealer, between 2009 and 2012. She is also accused of interfering in the nomination process for MPs in Yoon's party, a violation of election laws. These allegations have led to her imprisonment.
There has been controversy surrounding Kim, with accusations of her alleged role in stock manipulation and bribery. A video filmed in 2022 showed Kim accepting a Dior handbag from a self-proclaimed fan, which reignited public criticism.
Yoon, as president, vetoed three special investigation bills passed by the opposition-controlled parliament that sought to probe the allegations against Kim. His last veto was issued in late November. A week after his last veto, he declared martial law.
Following Yoon's impeachment in June, a snap election was held in South Korea. The details of Yoon's current detention are not yet clear, but he has been under arrest since the martial law declaration on December 3.
The prosecutors issued a brief statement confirming the arrest of the former president and former first lady. Both have expressed apologies upon their arrest. Kim expressed her apologies as she arrived at the prosecutors' office on Wednesday, while the details of Yoon's apology are not known.
[1] Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-former-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-arrested-over-allegations-2025-08-01/ [2] Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62604704 [3] Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/2/south-koreas-former-first-lady-arrested-over-allegations-of-stock-manipulation-and-bribery [4] Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/world/asia/south-korea-former-president-arrest.html
The former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, have been arrested and are currently behind bars, marking a significant event in South Korean history. Yoon was arrested due to his controversial martial law declaration, which was a key factor in his impeachment and removal from office. Meanwhile, Kim, the former First Lady and CEO of an art exhibition company, was arrested in August for alleged violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as political funds laws.
