South Korean court orders arrest of wife of jailed ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol
Investigators said the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Keon Hee late Tuesday.
The investigation into Kim is one of three special prosecutor probes launched under Seoul's new liberal government targeting the presidency of Yoon, a conservative who was removed from office in April and rearrested last month over his brief imposition of martial law in December.
While Yoon's self-inflicted downfall extended a decades-long run of South Korean presidencies ending badly, he and Kim are the first presidential couple to be simultaneously arrested over criminal allegations.
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Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
South Korea: Ex-first lady's 'butler' attends arrest warrant hearing over embezzlement
Seoul: An associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared for a court hearing Friday for his arrest on charges of embezzlement as part of a special counsel probe targetting the former first lady. Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of the former first lady's family, arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul nearly two hours before the hearing scheduled at 2 pm, Yonhap News Agency reported. Kim is accused of embezzling 3.38 billion won (USD 2.43 million) from IMS Mobility, a company he helped establish, in 2023. The court is expected to announce its decision on whether to issue the warrant later in the day or early Saturday. A special counsel team requested the arrest warrant Thursday, two days after he was detained by investigators upon returning from Vietnam in what they believe was an attempt to flee following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee's husband. Kim Ye-seong is suspected of receiving 18.4 billion won in illegal investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility Corp., for IMS Mobility. Considering that IMS Mobility was effectively in a state of capital impairment at the time of the investments, the special prosecutors suspect the companies invested in IMS Mobility in consideration of its connection to Kim and the former first lady. The special counsel team is also looking into whether the embezzled funds or related profits were funneled to the former first lady's family. Kim has denied any wrongdoing and described the special counsel's investigation as a "witch hunt." He has been closely associated with the former first lady for over a decade and is believed to have extensive knowledge of the family's financial matters. Earlier on Thursday, South Korea's jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at a special counsel's office on Thursday to undergo questioning for the first time since her arrest earlier this week over corruption charges. Kim was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul in a prison van after departing Seoul Southern Detention Centre in handcuffs, according to correctional authorities. She was hidden from public view as the van used the underground parking route. The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul on Wednesday after a court issued a warrant to arrest her on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favours.
Hans India
an hour ago
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South Korean President Lee vows to respect North Korea's political system
Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that he would respect North Korea's political system and will not pursue unification by absorption while pledging to take steps to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military deal to reduce tensions. Lee's speech marking the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, rebuffed a recent reconciliatory overture by the Lee administration as a "pipe dream." Lee extended an olive branch to North Korea and outlined his vision for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a speech to mark Liberation Day, Yonhap News Agency reported. "We affirm our respect for the North's current system, aver that we will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and assert that we have no intention of engaging in hostile acts," Lee said during a ceremony held at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts. To prevent accidental clashes between the two Koreas and build military trust, Lee said South Korea will take "proactive, gradual steps" to restore the 2018 military tension reduction pact to prevent accidental clashes and build trust. However, Lee made it clear that North Korea's denuclearization must be achieved for a peaceful Korean Peninsula. "A peaceful Korean Peninsula must be free of nuclear weapons and based on friendly cooperation with neighboring countries," he said. Restoring the military pact, which was suspended amid tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang during the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration, was one of Lee's election pledges. Since taking office in June, Lee has ordered the military to stop propaganda broadcasts along the border and urged activists to halt sending balloons across the border, in the first concrete steps to improve inter-Korean ties. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts after Seoul's actions, but Kim Yo-jong denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. Lee underscored the importance of restoring trust to create the conditions for resuming dialogue, expressing hopes that Pyongyang will reciprocate Seoul's efforts. "More important than winning a fight and more important than winning without a fight is building a state where fighting is unnecessary -- that is, creating peace," he said. On Japan, Lee pledged to pursue "forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation" with Japan through active "shuttle diplomacy," as he is set to visit Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later this month shortly before a planned summit with US President Donald Trump. "Guided by the principle of pragmatic, national interest-focused diplomacy, we will seek forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan while holding frequent meetings and frank dialogues through shuttle diplomacy," Lee said. Also marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, Lee said Seoul and Tokyo should face their painful history and redefine bilateral ties to move forward, describing Japan as "a neighbor across the sea" and "an indispensable partner" in economic development. "I hope that the Japanese government will squarely face up to our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries," he said. Lee's two-day visit to Japan on Aug. 23-24 will be an opportunity to deepen personal ties with Ishiba and discuss ways to strengthen trilateral cooperation with the United States, as well as discuss regional peace and stability, the presidential office said. Ahead of his planned visit to the US, Lee vowed to tackle challenges arising from changing economic and security environments and to seize new opportunities in cutting-edge technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence. "The Korea-US tariff negotiations are just one wave in this storm. More waves will surge forward in quick succession in the months ahead," he said. "It is entirely up to us whether we are swept away by towering waves and shipwrecked, or whether we turn this crisis into an opportunity and surge ahead." Lee's upcoming summit with Trump is expected to discuss alliance security issues, as well as industrial cooperation in the semiconductor, battery and shipbuilding sectors, based on the trade deal the two countries clinched earlier this month, according to the presidential office.
News18
4 hours ago
- News18
'Heroic Participation': Putin Lauds North Korean Troops Fighting In Ukraine In Letter To Kim
In his letter to Kim, Putin recalled how Soviet and North Korean forces had once fought side by side to end Japanese occupation Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine as 'heroic" in a letter sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to reports from state media in Pyongyang on Friday. The letter, released on the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, highlighted the growing military and political ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. In it, Putin recalled how Soviet and North Korean forces had once fought side by side to end Japanese occupation, and said those bonds remain strong today. 'The bonds of militant friendship, goodwill and mutual aid which were consolidated in the days of the war long ago remain solid and reliable even today," Putin wrote. He went on to praise what he described as the 'heroic participation" of North Korean troops in the liberation of Russia's Kursk region from what he called the 'Ukrainian occupationists". 'The Russian people will keep forever the memories of their bravery and self-sacrifice," Putin added. He also pledged that Russia and North Korea would continue to act jointly, defend their sovereignty, and contribute to building a 'just and multi-polarised world order." Western and South Korean intelligence estimates suggest over 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia's Kursk region, along with military equipment including artillery shells and missile systems. South Korea has claimed that around 600 North Korean troops have been killed in the fighting, with thousands more injured. The message from Putin was accompanied by a visit from a Russian parliamentary delegation to Pyongyang, led by Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. He thanked Kim for sending 'excellent soldiers" to support Russian efforts and said their sacrifice would not be forgotten. Kim Jong Un, in response, said the visit would help advance relations between the two countries to a 'new level". He also revealed that he had a recent phone call with Putin, where both leaders agreed to strengthen communication and cooperation. The exchange comes just days ahead of Putin's expected summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, as efforts continue to find a possible resolution to the war in Ukraine. (With inputs from AFP) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
