Seoul: A special counsel team announced that its interrogation of Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady, concluded prematurely on Thursday after she opted to exercise her right to remain silent on most charges leveled against her.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim appeared at special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul for the first time since her arrest earlier this week on corruption charges. "We questioned suspect Kim Keon Hee about illegal election interference and nomination interference," assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju stated during a press briefing. Moon elaborated that Kim exercised her right to remain silent on most charges, leading to an early end to the questioning. Kim was transported to the special counsel's office from the Seoul Southern Detention Center in a prison van, obscured from public view by using the underground parking route.
The interrogation was conducted from around 10 a.m. to noon, paused, and then resumed from 1:30 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. Moon indicated that the special prosecutors plan to summon Kim for further questioning next Monday.
Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was taken into custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul on Wednesday. Her arrest follows a court-issued warrant on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, 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.
On Thursday, the special prosecutors focused their questioning on the election meddling allegations. The case revolves around claims that the former presidential couple received free opinion polls from Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, ahead of the 2022 presidential election. This was allegedly in exchange for securing the nomination of former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun for a parliamentary by-election later that year.