Ex-first lady arrested in corruption probe

Former first lady of South Korea Kim Keon Hee has been arrested on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, election meddling and bribery.

1news.media reports, citing Yonhap, this makes her and her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the first former presidential couple to be detained simultaneously.

During Tuesday's hearing prior to her arrest, special prosecutors emphasized the risks of her destroying evidence, while her lawyers argued she had cooperated with questioning and was in poor health.

Kim faces charges of participating in a stock price manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, from 2009 to 2012, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favors.