South Korea ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee charged with bribery amid widening martial law probe

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - The charges against South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee which are punishable by years in prison if she is found guilty. — Reuters file pic

SEOUL, Aug 29 — Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been charged with bribery and other charges, a special prosecution team said today, amid a widening probe into the country’s martial law crisis and scandals involving the once powerful couple.

Both Yoon and Kim have been arrested and are in jail, with Yoon already undergoing trial on charges that include insurrection following his ouster in April over a botched bid to impose martial law in December.

The couple face separate investigations by special prosecutors appointed after Yoon’s removal from office and since liberal President Lee Jae Myung took office in early June.

Following the charge, Kim apologised for causing concerns and said she would make “no excuses” and face trial.

“Just as moonlight shines brightly in the darkest night, I too will endure this time, looking to my truth and heart,” Kim said in a statement relayed by her lawyers, which did not address specific charges against her.

The charges against Kim, which are punishable by years in prison if she is found guilty, range from stock fraud to suspected bribery that has implicated business owners, religious figures and a powerful political broker.

The former first lady has been the subject of numerous high-profile scandals, some dating back more than 15 years, which overshadowed Yoon’s turbulent presidency and inflicted political damage on him and his conservative party.

Among the charges, she is accused of manipulating stocks between 2010 and 2012 that earned here 810 million won ($583,510) in unfair profits, according to the prosecution.

Kim is also accused of receiving bribes worth 80 million won that include two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace from an official at the Unification Church in return for using her influence to help its business interests.

Kim’s lawyers have denied the allegations against her, including over her receiving gifts.

The Unification Church, formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has said it was “deeply regrettable” that the church failed to prevent the misconduct of a former senior official, but denied any involvement in the case.

Yoon’s shock martial law order in December and its political fallout has coincided with a dramatic fall from grace for Kim, a wealthy businesswoman who was seen as an important driving force behind her husband’s rise to top office.

Special prosecutors investigating the country’s martial law crisis also indicted on Friday former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo who was appointed by Yoon on charges of abetting insurrection and committing perjury, a prosecution spokesperson said.

“The defendant was the highest constitutional institution that could have stopped the president’s unconstitutional, illegitimate martial law,” Park Ji-young, the spokesperson, said.

In recent weeks, prosecutors had been questioning Han, but he has not responded to questions from reporters.

The experienced technocrat, who served in senior posts under five presidents, became acting president after Yoon was impeached.

Soon after, Han himself was impeached after being accused of aiding Yoon in the martial law declaration. He denied this but accepted some responsibility for the ensuing crisis by failing to dissuade Yoon from making the surprise move.

The Constitutional Court overturned Han’s impeachment, restoring his powers to serve as leader before he resigned from the post to run in the June election, but ended his bid for the presidency following rifts among conservatives. — Reuters