The special prosecutor's office arrested and indicted Kim Keon-hee on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act and the Political Funds Act on the 29th. This is the first time a former president's spouse has been arrested and indicted. It is also the first time in constitutional history that both a former presidential couple are undergoing trial while in custody. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol is currently undergoing trial after being arrested and indicted by the special prosecutor regarding insurrection.
The special prosecutor's office stated in a notice that "today (29th) morning, Kim Keon-hee was arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Specific Crimes Act (bribery)."
Earlier, Kim Keon-hee was arrested on the 12th on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act (involvement in manipulation of Deutsch Motors' stock prices), violating the Political Funds Act (allegations of interference in the 2022 and 2024 elections), and charges of bribery under the Specific Crimes Act (allegations of soliciting bribes from Unification Church through Geonjin Law).
Kim Keon-hee was summoned five times in custody for questioning by the special prosecutor on the 14th, 18th, 21st, 25th, and the day before, but she refused to answer most of the questions. Kim Keon-hee's legal team noted their intention to diligently clarify the charges in court.
The Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case involved former chairman Kwon Oh-soo, who was the largest shareholder and CEO of the listed company Deutsch Motors. From 2009 to 2012, he conspired with 13 others, including players in stock manipulation and current and former employees of securities firms, and used 157 accounts to unlawfully trade 15.99 million shares of Deutsch Motors (worth 63.6 billion won). During the prosecution investigation and related trial, it was revealed that six securities accounts under Kim Keon-hee's name were used in the stock manipulation. The special prosecutor's office believes that Kim Keon-hee was aware of the stock manipulation in advance.
Kim Keon-hee is also suspected of helping former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Yeong-sun receive candidacy in the 2022 by-election for the constituency of Changwon's Changwon in Gyeongnam. The special prosecutor's office suspects that the couple of former President Yoon received free opinion polls related to the presidential election worth 318 million won from Nam Taek-kyun and former lawmaker Kim during the 2022 presidential election.
Additionally, Kim Keon-hee is under suspicion of having asked former lawmaker Kim to concede her constituency to former prosecutor Kim Sang-min in last year's general election and to support him. She is also suspected of having received two "Chanel" bags worth over 10 million won and "Graff" necklaces through Geonjin Law's Jeon Seong-bae from Unification Church officials from April to July 2022, and of having helped resolve issues related to Unification Church.