South Korea's ex-president Yoon, wife summoned for questioning over alleged election interference
SEOUL - A special counsel team announced on July 21 that it has summoned both former president Yoon Suk Yeol and ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee for questioning scheduled to take place in the following weeks, over their alleged roles in election interference and other scandals.
The team led by prosecutor Min Joong-ki team ordered Yoon and Kim to each appear as suspects for separate questioning sessions scheduled on the mornings of July 29 and Aug 6, respectively, assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju said to a press briefing. The team, one of the three special counsel teams launched last month, is focused on investigating several allegations surrounding Kim.
Yoon and Kim were both summoned over their alleged meddling in the People Power Party's candidate nomination process for the 2022 by-elections.
Kim, in addition, is accused of interfering in the main opposition party's candidate selection process for the 2024 general election.
Besides her alleged meddling in elections, Kim is projected to be questioned about her alleged roles in two separate stock manipulation scandals, as well as acceptance of luxury gifts from a shaman in return for favors for the Unification Church.
But it is uncertain whether Kim and Yoon will comply with the summon. Yoon, who is currently held at Seoul Detention Centre, has already refused summonses to appear for questioning over alleged insurrection and treason from a separate special counsel team.
Meanwhile, the team led by prosecutor Min made search and seizure operations at the Finance Ministry and the Export-Import Bank of Korea headquarters in the morning, over suspicions of tampering with a loan aid program to benefit the Unification Church.
A high-ranking Unification Church official surnamed Jeon is accused of gifting a diamond necklace and a luxury bag to Kim, through a shaman, in 2022 in exchange for several favors from the Yoon administration.
The Yoon administration allegedly funnelled money to a Unification Church-led project in Cambodia through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund. The fund was established by the Korean government in 1987 to support developing countries and is managed by the Eximbank.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US judge reaffirms nationwide injunction blocking Trump executive order on birthright citizenship
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to the power of federal judges by restricting their ability to grant broad legal relief in cases as the justices acted in a legal fight over President Donald Trump's bid to limit birthright citizenship, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington D.C., June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo WASHINGTON - A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on Friday that a nationwide injunction he issued in February that blocked President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship should remain in place. In a written ruling, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston said his earlier nationwide injunction was the only way to provide complete relief to a coalition of Democratic-led states that brought the lawsuit before him, rejecting the Trump administration's argument that a narrower ruling was warranted because of a June decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. Sorokin wrote that the evidence before him "does not support a finding that any narrower option would feasibly and adequately protect the plaintiffs from the injuries they have shown they are likely to suffer if the unlawful policy announced in the Executive Order takes effect during the pendency of this lawsuit." The White House and Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, a Democrat, said in a statement that the states were thrilled with the decision. "American-born babies are American, just as they have been at every other time in our nation's history. The president cannot change that legal rule with the stroke of a pen.' The Supreme Court's June 27 ruling in litigation over Trump's birthright citizenship order limited the ability of judges to issue so-called "universal" injunctions -- in which a single district court judge can block enforcement of a federal policy across the country -- and directed lower courts that had blocked the Republican president's policy nationally to reconsider the scope of their orders. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore S'pore could have nuclear energy 'within a few years', if it decides on it: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia 'Nothing like this has happened before': At least 16 dead as Thai-Cambodian conflict continues Life 'Do you kill children?': Even before independence, S'pore has always loved its over-the-top campaigns Singapore Lung damage, poor brain development, addiction: What vaping does to the body Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly But the ruling contained exceptions allowing courts to potentially still block it across the country again. That has already allowed a judge in New Hampshire to once again halt Trump's order from taking effect by issuing an injunction in a nationwide class action of children who would be denied citizenship under the policy. A federal appeals court in California on Wednesday said Trump's executive order violated the citizenship clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment by denying citizenship to many persons born in the U.S., and blocked its enforcement nationwide. Trump signed the executive order on January 20, his first day back in office, as part of his crackdown on immigration. The executive order directed federal agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of U.S.-born children who do not have at least one parent who is an American citizen or lawful permanent resident, also known as a "green card" holder. It was swiftly challenged in court by Democratic attorneys general from 22 states and immigrant rights advocates who argued it was unconstitutional. Last week, the states had argued at a hearing before Sorokin that a nationwide injunction was essential. They said restricting birthright citizenship in some states but not others would make it difficult to administer federal benefits programs like Medicaid. A patchwork approach would also lead to confusion among immigrant parents and a surge of people moving to states where Trump's executive order is on hold, straining resources, they argued. The Justice Department had countered that the states, by continuing to advocate for universal relief, had failed to come to grips with the Supreme Court's decision. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump administration to release over $5 billion school funding that it withheld
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, as he meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (not pictured), in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's administration will release more than $5 billion in previously approved funding for K-12 school programs that it froze over three weeks ago under a review, which had led to bipartisan condemnation. KEY QUOTES "(The White House Office of Management and Budget) has completed its review ... and has directed the Department to release all formula funds," Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the U.S. Education Department, said in an emailed statement. "The agency will begin dispersing funds to states next week," Biedermann added. Further details on the review and what it found were not shared in the statement. A senior administration official said "guardrails" would be in place for the amount being released, without giving details about them. The release of the more than $5 billion amount was reported earlier by the Washington Post. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Early in July, the Trump administration said it would not release funding previously appropriated by Congress for schools and that an initial review found signs the money was misused to subsidize what it alleged was "a radical leftwing agenda." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore S'pore could have nuclear energy 'within a few years', if it decides on it: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia 'Nothing like this has happened before': At least 16 dead as Thai-Cambodian conflict enters second day Life 'Do you kill children?': Even before independence, S'pore has always loved its over-the-top campaigns Singapore Lung damage, poor brain development, addiction: What vaping does to the body Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly States say $6.8 billion in total was affected by the freeze. Last week, $1.3 billion was released. CONTEXT After the freeze, a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states sued to challenge the move, and 10 Republican U.S. senators wrote to the Republican Trump administration to reverse its decision. Republican U.S. lawmakers welcomed the move on Friday, while Democratic lawmakers said there was no need to disrupt funding in the first place. The frozen money covered funding for education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment and after-school and summer programs. The Trump administration has threatened schools and colleges with withholding federal funds over issues like climate initiatives, transgender policies, pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's war in Gaza and diversity, equity and inclusion practices. REUTERS
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
UN chief blasts ‘lack of compassion' for Palestinians in Gaza
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Aid groups have warned of surging numbers of malnourished children in war-ravaged Gaza. NEW YORK - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on July 25 slammed the international community for turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians starving in the Gaza Strip, calling it a 'moral crisis that challenges the global conscience'. 'I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community – the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity,' Mr Guterres told Amnesty International's global assembly via video link. 'This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity.' Aid groups have warned of surging numbers of malnourished children in war-ravaged Gaza, which Israel placed under an aid blockade in March amid its ongoing war with Hamas. That blockade was partially eased two months later. The trickle of aid since then has been controlled by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, replacing the longstanding UN-led distribution system. Aid groups and the United Nations have refused to work with the GHF, accusing it of aiding Israeli military goals. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore S'pore could have nuclear energy 'within a few years', if it decides on it: UN nuclear watchdog chief Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Life 'Do you kill children?': Even before independence, S'pore has always loved its over-the-top campaigns Singapore Lung damage, poor brain development, addiction: What vaping does to the body Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly Mr Guterres said while he had repeatedly condemned the Oct 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered the war in the Palestinian territory, 'nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since'. 'The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times,' he said. 'Children speak of wanting to go to heaven, because at least, they say, there is food there. We hold video calls with our own humanitarians who are starving before our eyes. (...) But words don't feed hungry children.' Mr Guterres also condemned the killing of more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to access food aid supplies since May 27, when the GHF began operations. 'We need action: an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access,' Mr Guterres said. He added that the United Nations was ready to 'dramatically scale up humanitarian operations' in Gaza should Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire deal. AFP
