Former South Korean First Lady Arrested on Corruption Charges
The spouse of a former South Korean President, recently imprisoned, has been taken into custody. She is facing a host of accusations, such as bribery, tampering with stocks, and unlawfully influencing the selection of a political candidate.
After a late-night decision to issue an arrest warrant, the Central District Court in Seoul stated that there was a risk that she could tamper with evidence. This development has added a new layer of controversy to the already scandal-ridden presidency of her husband, a conservative leader removed from his position in the spring and jailed last month for his short-lived declaration of martial law in the winter.
A First in South Korean History
The couple's joint incarceration is an unprecedented event in the nation's history, marking the first time a former president and his spouse have been jailed concurrently. The husband's abrupt, poorly executed seizure of power in early December came amidst ongoing tension with liberal factions in government. He had accused them of using their legislative majority to obstruct his initiatives and described them as 'anti-state' forces.
There is speculation that his actions might have been driven, at least in part, by the increasing allegations against his wife, damaging his popularity and providing political fodder for his adversaries.
A Deepening Investigation
The wife, during her arrival at court for a hearing that spanned hours, remained silent in front of the press. She is currently being detained in a southern Seoul facility, separate from her husband's location. She is expected to face further questioning later this week by investigators, who could extend her detention up to 20 days before officially filing charges.
The investigation team, led by a Special Prosecutor appointed by the nation's new liberal President, initially questioned the wife for around seven hours before deciding to seek her arrest. On appearing for questioning, she issued a vague apology for causing public concern but also insinuated that she would deny the allegations against her, presenting herself as "someone insignificant."
Wide-ranging Allegations
Investigators believe that the wife and her husband may have improperly influenced their conservative political party to nominate a specific candidate in a 2022 legislative by-election, allegedly at the request of an election broker. The broker is accused of conducting free opinion surveys for the husband using manipulated data that may have aided his victory in the party's presidential primaries before his election as president.
The wife is separately associated with numerous corruption allegations. These include receiving luxury gifts from a fortuneteller acting on behalf of a church official seeking business favors, and potential involvement in a scheme manipulating the stock price of a local luxury car dealership.
In an ongoing investigation, one of the wife's close associates was arrested upon his return from Vietnam. It is suspected that he used his connection to the former first lady to secure millions in business investments for his financially struggling company.
Additional Controversy and Consequences
Investigators also searched a construction company over claims that its chairman bought a luxury necklace reportedly worth $43,000, believed to be the same one the wife wore during a 2022 trip to Europe. The necklace's purchase is possibly related to the chairman's son-in-law's appointment as the chief of staff of the then-Prime Minister, who was the second-in-command to the wife's husband, shortly before the presidential trip. The wife has denied the accusations, asserting that the necklace she wore in Europe was not an authentic piece but a borrowed imitation.
During his tenure, the husband dismissed calls to investigate his wife as unfounded political attacks and vetoed several bills from the liberal-led legislature seeking independent investigations into the allegations.
After winning the early presidential election, the new President approved legislation to launch comprehensive special investigations into the husband's martial law debacle, the allegations against his wife, and the 2023 drowning death of a marine during a flood rescue operation. The new administration claims that the previous government attempted to cover up the marine's death.
The husband's martial law decree lasted only a few hours after a sufficient number of lawmakers managed to bypass a blockade of heavily armed soldiers and voted to revoke the measure. He was impeached by lawmakers and was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court in the spring.
