Warrant sought for arrest of former First Lady Kim in South Korea
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Faces Multiple Allegations
South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, is embroiled in a series of controversial allegations, including violations of capital market and financial investment laws, political funds laws, stock manipulation, bribery, and illegal interference in election candidate nominations.
The allegations against Kim include manipulating the stock price of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer, during 2009 to 2012, which falls under capital market law violations. She is also accused of receiving bribes, including two Chanel bags worth about 20 million won (~US$14,500) and a diamond necklace, from a religious group in exchange for favorable influence on its business interests, constituting bribery charges.
Kim is also suspected of illegally interfering with the nomination process for parliamentary candidates in her husband’s party during the 2022 by-elections and the 2024 general elections, violating political funds and election laws. The Unification Church, an influential religious organization in South Korea, is involved in the allegations against Kim.
These allegations prompted a court to issue an arrest warrant for Kim, citing risks such as tampering with evidence. However, attempts to question her husband, former president Yoon Suk Yeol, about the allegations against his wife have failed due to Yoon's resistance and concerns about potential injury.
If the court grants an arrest warrant, Kim Keon Hee will be the first former first lady in South Korean history to be arrested. She denies all charges and has issued an apology for causing public concern. If granted, this arrest warrant will also mark a historical first, as it will be the first time in South Korean history that a former president and first lady were both arrested.
Kim has hinted that she will deny the accusations against her, calling herself "someone insignificant." The prosecutors did not provide further details about the "fierce resistance" and "concerns about potential injury" that prevented them from questioning Yoon Suk Yeol.
The development comes as former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol remains in detention for declaring martial law in December. The investigation targeting Kim Keon Hee is one of the three ongoing separate special prosecutor investigations against Yoon Suk Yeol. Kim is also suspected of receiving gifts through a fortuneteller acting as an intermediary for a Unification Church official in exchange for business favors. Critics liken the Unification Church to a cult.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-former-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-denies-all-charges-2023-04-21/
[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/21/south-korea-former-first-lady-kim-keon-hee-denies-all-charges-against-her
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65065387
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/world/asia/south-korea-kim-keon-hee.html
The media has been following the legal proceedings of South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, who faces multiple allegations of violating capital market laws, political funds laws, stock manipulation, bribery, and election law violations. The government and prosecutors are investigating her involvement with the Unification Church, an influential religious organization, in exchange for business favors, which falls under crime-and-justice and policy-and-legislation categories. The potential arrest warrant for Kim Keon Hee has caused a stir in general-news, raising questions about the role of religion in politics and the accountability of high-ranking political figures.
