Seoul: Jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee is set to appear for questioning by a special counsel team Thursday, just days following her arrest over corruption allegations. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team confirmed that they were notified by Seoul Southern Detention Center, where Kim was detained, about her intent to comply with the summons scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the questioning will take place at the special counsel's office located in the KT Gwanghwamun West building in central Seoul. This marks Kim's first official questioning since her arrest. She is expected to be transported to the location in a justice ministry prison van.
The Seoul Central District Court authorized Kim's arrest on Tuesday night, highlighting the risk of potential evidence destruction. Kim is accused of engaging in a stock price manipulation scheme with Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, during 2009-2012. Additionally, she is implicated in meddling with candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and the upcoming 2024 general elections, as well as accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in return for business favors.
The special counsel's team, led by Min Joong-ki, sought her arrest warrant based on allegations of breaching the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act, and laws concerning bribery for mediation. Notably, Kim's arrest alongside her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, marks the first instance of a presidential couple being detained simultaneously. Yoon is currently held at a separate detention center on charges related to his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law in December.