First Case of Former President's Spouse Indicted and Detained
Special Prosecutor to Question Kim Gunhee for the Fifth Time on August 28
Kwon Seongdong and IMS Mobility CEO to Be Summoned on August 28
The special prosecutor team led by Min Junggi, which is investigating allegations related to Kim Gunhee, has decided to indict her under detention on August 29. This marks the first time in history that the spouse of a former president has been indicted and detained.
Former President Yoon Sukyeol's spouse Kim Gunhee is leaving the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 12th after completing the pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant review) on charges of violation of the Capital Markets Act, bribery solicitation, and Political Funds Act. She is heading to the Seoul Southern Detention Center. 2025.08.12 Photo by Joint Press Corps
Special Prosecutor Oh Junghui announced at a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 26th, "Kim Gunhee will be indicted under detention on August 29."
This is also the first time in constitutional history that both a former president and their spouse will stand trial while in detention. Former President Yoon Sukyeol has already been indicted and detained by the special prosecutor for insurrection, and his trial is underway.
Kim Gunhee faces charges including violation of the Capital Markets Act and the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, violation of the Political Funds Act, and bribery solicitation under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Specifically, she is accused of: ▲participating as a financier in the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation case; ▲exerting influence, together with former President Yoon, to secure the nomination of former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Youngsun in the 2022 parliamentary by-election as a reward for receiving polling results free of charge on 58 occasions from political broker Myung Taegyun during the 2022 presidential election; and ▲receiving an expensive necklace and other valuables, along with requests for favors regarding church issues from the Unification Church through Jeonseongbae, known as Geonjin Bopsa, between April and August 2022.
The special prosecutor team arrested Kim Gunhee on August 12 on these charges and has summoned her for questioning a total of four times as of the previous day. The team questioned her about all aspects of the allegations, but Kim Gunhee has largely refused to make statements.
The special prosecutor team plans to conduct a fifth round of questioning at 10 a.m. on August 28. Kim Gunhee’s detention period is set to expire on August 31.
The special prosecutor team is also investigating former President Yoon Sukyeol and is considering both reapplying for an arrest warrant and indicting him without further questioning. Special Prosecutor Oh stated, "We are reviewing both the reapplication for an arrest warrant for former President Yoon and the option of indicting him without further questioning."
Previously, the special prosecutor team obtained an arrest warrant from the court after former President Yoon repeatedly failed to comply with summons requests and attempted to execute it, even resorting to physical force. However, former President Yoon strongly resisted, and the attempt was unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor team plans to summon Kwon Seongdong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, regarding the Unification Church allegations, and Jo Youngtak, CEO of IMS Mobility, regarding the so-called "Butler Gate" case, for questioning at 10 a.m. on August 27.
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