South Korea: Ex-first lady attends court hearing on her potential arrest

Seoul, Aug 12 (IANS) Former first lady Kim Keon Hee attended a court hearing Tuesday on her potential arrest over charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, election meddling and bribe taking.

The hearing was held at the Seoul Central District Court five days after special counsel Min Joong-ki's team requested a warrant to arrest Kim on charges of violations of the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation.

In the event the court issues the warrant, a decision that could come as early as Tuesday night, Kim and her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, would become the first presidential couple to be jailed simultaneously, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon is currently under arrest for his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.

Kim faces charges of participating in a stock price manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, from 2009 to 2012, 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.

She apologized while appearing for questioning by the special counsel team last Wednesday, calling herself "a nobody" who has caused concern to the people.

During the interrogation, however, she reportedly denied all the charges.

The special counsel's investigation targets a total of 16 criminal allegations against the former first lady, including suspicions the endpoint of an expressway project was changed to where her family owns land in Yangpyeong, just east of Seoul, and that her family received preferential treatment in an apartment construction project in the county.

Obtaining the warrant is expected to help the team home in on those allegations as well.

--IANS

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