South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon-hee indicted for bribery

Kim Keon-hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk-yeol, has been indicted for bribery and other charges, a special prosecution team said on Friday, 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 exit in April over a botched bid to impose martial law in December.

The couple are under separate investigations by special prosecutors appointed after Yoon’s removal from office and President Lee Jae-myung took office.

It is the first time that a former first lady has been indicted in South Korea.

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

  

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