JAKARTA – South Korean investigators requested a detention warrant on Thursday for former first lady Kim Keon Hee on corruption charges.
Kim Keon Hee and her husband, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol were questioned by two separate special prosecutors appointed after the former leader was ousted for a brief statement about a military emergency that sparked a six-month political crisis and social upheaval.
Kim was present for questioning on Wednesday, August 6 at the special prosecutor’s office on charges of illegal stock fraud, bribery, and abuse of influence.
He apologized for causing concern, but did not answer reporters’ questions regarding the allegations.
As reported by Reuters, Oh Jeong-hee, a prosecutor acting as a spokesman for a special team of prosecutors, named three criminal laws listed in a court warrant that included allegations against Kim, but did not provide details of the indictment.
Kim’s lawyers have denied accusations against him.
Kim became the subject of a number of scandals that sometimes overshadowed her husband’s volatile presidency, which ended two years less than his five-year term.
Her husband, Yoon, was impeached and removed from office in April and tried on charges of rebellion. He is still undergoing examination by a special prosecutor who has expanded the scope of the investigation.
On Thursday, August 7, a team of investigators and law enforcement officers armed with a court order tried to get Yoon out of his prison cell for questioning over charges against his wife. But those attempts failed.
“Based on the website’s opinion that there were concerns about an injury due to a strong rejection from former President Yoon, the implementation of the warrant was canceled,” said Oh, a spokesman for the special prosecutor.
Yoon’s lawyer described the scene of violence when officers tried to forcibly move him from his cell to a correctional service vehicle, calling the effort a “torture” against a suspect who was exercising his legal right to refuse interrogation.
“(Yoon) requested that his arm be released and please let go,” said one of his lawyers, Song Jin-ho, to reporters. Yoon is undergoing medical treatment at the detention center, Song said.
Oh, quoted by Yonhap News Agency, said the officials were carrying out their duties based on a valid court order and “minimum force” had been used.
This incident was Yoon’s last time against authorities during political turmoil.
In January, when he was impeached but still serving as president, Yoon ordered presidential security service personnel to prevent police from arresting him.
Since being imprisoned, Yoon has refused to attend trial on charges of rebellion and said through his lawyer he was a victim of political hunting.
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