From ‘VIP No 1’ to suspect: how former South Korean first lady has fallen

South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon-hee has been formally summoned for questioning by a team of special prosecutors, marking a significant step forward in an expanding investigation into a raft of scandals tied to her and her husband, ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol.

Both Kim and Yoon were called in for separate questioning as “suspects” under a parliament-mandated investigation, special prosecutors said on Monday. Yoon is set to appear next Tuesday, while Kim will face scrutiny on August 6, according to Assistant Special Prosecutor Moon Hong-joo.

Kim’s legal team has said she intends to cooperate, though they also indicate she may seek a postponement.

“Kim Keon-hee was widely believed to have exerted outsize influence over both her husband and state affairs, earning her the nickname ‘VIP No 1’,” Jung Suk-koo, former executive editor of the progressive Hankyoreh newspaper, told This Week in Asia.

“The fact that she is now being questioned suggests that momentum is building to finally expose the wrongdoings that plagued the Yoon administration.”