SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean investigators on Thursday requested a warrant to arrest the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day after questioning her over suspicions including bribery, stock manipulation and political influence-peddling.
Yoon, for the second time in a week, resisted an attempt to compel him to appear for questioning in his wife’s case, forcing prison officials to abandon their efforts after an hourlong struggle due to concerns of injury, the investigators said. The detention warrant for Yoon expires Thursday.
The investigation targeting Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, is one of three separate special prosecutor probes launched under the government of new liberal President Lee Jae Myung related to Yoon, who was removed from office in April and rearrested last month over his brief imposition of martial law in December.
The investigation team questioned Kim for about seven hours on Wednesday on various allegations, including claims that Yoon and Kim exerted undue influence over the conservative party’s candidate nominations for a parliamentary by-election in 2022.
Kim is also suspected of receiving a necklace and other gifts through a fortuneteller acting as an intermediary for a Unification Church official seeking business favors, and of possible involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme.
The team said they listed multiple charges in the warrant request for Kim, including violations of financial market and political funding laws and acceptance of bribes.
In her brief comments to reporters as she appeared for questioning on Wednesday, Kim issued a vague apology for causing public concern but also hinted that she would deny the accusations against her, calling herself “someone insignificant.”
Yoon, who faces a high-stakes trial on rebellion and other charges, previously resisted an attempt by investigators on Friday last week to bring him to their office for questioning over his wife. Investigators said he took off his prison uniform and lay down on the floor of his cell in his underwear until they gave up.
Investigators were less specific about Yoon’s actions on Thursday but said he “strongly resisted” and that there were concerns that he might be injured if the struggle continued. Yoon’s lawyers criticized the repeated attempts to force him to appear for questioning, stating that he has already made clear his intention to exercise his right to remain silent and accusing investigators of infringing upon his rights in order to publicly shame him.
Yoon’s ill-fated imposition of martial law on Dec. 3 came during a seemingly routine standoff with the liberals, whom he labeled as “anti-state” forces abusing their legislative majority to obstruct his agenda. Some political opponents have questioned whether the conservative leader’s actions were at least partly motivated by growing allegations against his wife, which hurt his approval ratings and gave political ammunition to his rivals.
While in office, Yoon repeatedly dismissed calls to investigate his wife, denouncing them as baseless political attacks.
After winning the early presidential election in June, new liberal President Lee Jae Myung approved legislation to launch sweeping special investigations into Yoon’s martial law debacle, the allegations against his wife, and the 2023 drowning death of a marine during a flood rescue operation, an incident the liberals claim Yoon’s government tried to cover up.
