A special prosecution team formally charged Kim Keon-hee, wife of ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol, with bribery, financial crimes, and election meddling—marking a first in South Korean history with a former first lady facing indictment.
Prosecutors say Kim manipulated stock prices from 2010 to 2012, earning approximately ₩810 million (about US$580,000) through illicit gains.
She is also accused of accepting roughly ₩80 million in luxury gifts—such as a Chanel handbag and a diamond necklace—from a Unification Church official, allegedly in return for political influence.
Moreover, she allegedly flouted political fundraising and capital markets laws by receiving free opinion polling data during the 2022 presidential campaign, valued at hundreds of millions of won, which she purportedly used to sway candidate nominations within her husband’s People Power Party.
Kim’s legal team has rejected all allegations, calling the claims groundless. If found guilty, she could face several years in prison.
The charges stem from a wider investigation into Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024—a move that sparked a political crisis and led to his impeachment and eventual arrest.
In a historic twist, both Yoon and Kim are now jailed and under separate criminal investigations.
Also indicted on August 29, 2025, was former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, charged with abetting Yoon’s martial law declaration, falsifying documents, and perjury.