South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, was indicted Friday on charges of bribery and market manipulation, accused of amassing more than 1 billion won (about $720,000) in illicit proceeds. Prosecutors allege she engaged in a stock manipulation scheme from 2010 to 2012 that generated 810 million won in illegal profits, and also violated the country’s political funds law and financial regulations.
Kim, the wife of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, is also accused of conspiring with Yoon to obtain 270 million won worth of polling data for free ahead of the 2022 election, and of receiving 80 million won in bribes and valuables from the Unification Church in exchange for political backing. Yoon was impeached and removed from office earlier this year after his brief martial law declaration in December 2024. He faces insurrection charges that could carry the death penalty.
Separately, former prime minister Han Duck-soo was indicted for abetting Yoon’s failed martial law bid. According to Yonhap, Han faces charges of aiding an insurrection leader, perjury, falsifying and destroying official documents, and other crimes.
The indictments follow President Lee Jae Myung’s approval of legislation authorizing investigations into Yoon’s martial law attempt and allegations against his administration. Those probes led to raids on a South Korean church and Osan Air Base, actions that drew international attention. President Trump referenced the raids ahead of his meeting with Lee in Washington, calling them “very vicious” and questioning whether a “Purge or Revolution” was underway.
