Key Figure in All Allegations Kim Gunhee Detained... Mugshot Taken and Held in Detention Center

The Special Prosecutor Secures Kim's Custody
First Simultaneous Detention of a Former President and Spouse in Constitutional History
Court Cites "Risk of Evidence Destruction"
Detained at Seoul Southern Detention Center, Where Choi Soon-sil Was Previously Held

The special prosecutor team led by Min Jungki has secured the custody of Kim Gunhee, wife of former President Yoon Seokyeol. This marks the first time in the constitutional history of South Korea that both a former president and their spouse have been detained simultaneously. With Kim, who is at the center of all ongoing allegations, now in custody, the special prosecutor's investigation is expected to gain significant momentum.

Kim Gunhee, wife of former President Yoon Seokyeol, who is accused of violating the Capital Market and Financial Investment Business Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (Receiving Bribes), is attending a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of August 12, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

According to the legal community on August 13, Judge Jeong Jaeuk, who is in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Kim Gunhee the previous day at the request of the special prosecutor team, citing violations of the Capital Market Act and other charges. After conducting a pretrial detention hearing that lasted about 4 hours and 25 minutes from 10:10 a.m. the day before, Judge Jeong stated that the warrant was issued due to concerns about the destruction of evidence.

During the hearing, Kim Gunhee actively denied the charges and emphasized the unfairness of the arrest warrant requested by the special prosecutor team, but the court did not accept her arguments. In contrast, the special prosecutor team strongly argued the need for further investigation while Kim remained in detention, citing the seriousness of the case and the risk of evidence being destroyed. Ultimately, the court sided with the special prosecutor team, allowing them to secure custody of Kim Gunhee, who is at the center of the allegations, just 42 days after the investigation began. The special prosecutor team can now detain and investigate Kim for up to 20 days.

The Special Prosecutor Clears the First Legal Hurdle

Previously, the special prosecutor team had requested an arrest warrant for Kim Gunhee on charges of violating the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (Receiving Bribes). These charges are each related to the alleged stock manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, the alleged intervention in Myung Taegyun’s nomination, and the alleged solicitations involving Geonjin Bopsa and the Unification Church.

For over 40 days since the investigation began, the special prosecutor team conducted extensive searches and seizures and summoned related individuals for questioning in connection with the allegations against Kim Gunhee, ultimately securing what they described as a "smoking gun" (decisive evidence). The issuance of the arrest warrant does not mean that the court has acknowledged all the charges against Kim Gunhee. However, the court determined that, given the current state of the investigation, it was necessary to secure her custody, which suggests that some of the charges brought by the special prosecutor team have been substantiated to a certain extent. This effectively means that the special prosecutor team has cleared the first legal hurdle.

Kim Detained at Seoul Southern Detention Center... Possible 'Standoff Strategy' in Future Investigations

After the pretrial detention hearing, Kim Gunhee waited at Seoul Southern Detention Center. With the arrest warrant issued, she will be immediately transferred to a detention ward to undergo the standard incarceration procedures. Kim will receive an inmate number and have her mugshot taken, following the same admission process as any other detainee. Seoul Southern Detention Center is the same facility where Choi Soon-sil, a key figure in the state affairs manipulation scandal, was previously held.

Although the special prosecutor team has secured Kim Gunhee’s custody, it remains uncertain whether any meaningful investigation will take place moving forward. There is also the possibility that Kim, like former President Yoon, may adopt a "standoff strategy" by refusing to cooperate with the investigation while in detention. In such a case, the special prosecutor team may have to repeat the process of issuing and executing additional arrest warrants, resorting to further compulsory investigation measures.