South Korea made history this week when Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested on corruption charges.
This marks the first time the country has seen both a former president and first lady in jail simultaneously.
The Seoul Central District Court approved Kim’s arrest late Tuesday after prosecutors argued she might tamper with evidence.
She was taken to a detention center in southern Seoul, where she’s being held separately from her husband.
Prosecutors have up to 20 days to decide on formal charges, with further questioning scheduled for Thursday.
Kim faces several serious allegations. Investigators are looking into claims that she pressured the conservative People Power Party to nominate a specific candidate in a 2022 election, allegedly at the request of election broker Myung Tae-kyun.
She’s also accused of accepting expensive gifts, possibly through a Unification Church contact seeking government favors, and having connections to a stock manipulation scheme involving a BMW dealership.
This week alone, authorities arrested one of Kim’s close associates for allegedly using his connection to her to secure millions in business investments.
They also raided a construction company suspected of buying her a $43,000 luxury necklace, which Kim claims is counterfeit.
The investigation gained momentum after her husband’s political downfall.
While Yoon was president, he consistently dismissed calls to investigate his wife, calling the allegations politically motivated attacks.
But his removal from office cleared the way for new liberal President Lee Jae Myung to launch three major investigations: Yoon’s martial law declaration, the corruption charges against Kim, and an alleged cover-up of a marine’s death during a 2023 flood rescue.
Yoon’s presidency collapsed after his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
The declaration lasted only hours before lawmakers overturned it and broke through military blockades.
He was impeached in December, removed from office in April, and rearrested last month on rebellion charges.
