SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The wife of South Korea’s ousted former President appeared for questioning by a special prosecutor Wednesday, as investigators expanded a probe into suspicions of stock manipulation, bribery, and interference in party nominations.
The investigation into Kim Keon Hee is one of launched under Seoul’s new liberal government targeting the presidency of Yoon, who was and over his brief imposition of martial law in December.
The conservative’s abrupt and poorly planned came during a seemingly routine standoff with the liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces abusing their legislative majority to obstruct his agenda. Some political opponents have questioned whether Yoon’s actions were at least partly motivated by , which hurt his approval ratings and gave political ammunition to his rivals.
“I apologize for causing concern to the people, even though I am someone insignificant,” Kim told reporters as she arrived for questioning. She added that she would sincerely cooperate with the investigation, before walking away without responding to specific questions about the allegations.
Through a heavy police presence, dozens of Yoon’s supporters gathered outside the special prosecutor’s office in downtown Seoul, waving South Korean and U.S. flags and banners in light rain.
Yoon, who was sent back to prison last month and faces a high-stakes trial on and , resisted an attempt by investigators last week to compel him for questioning over his wife. Investigators said and laid down on the floor of his cell in his underwear before they gave up executing the warrant to detain him. They plan to negotiate with Yoon’s lawyers to arrange a possible questioning.
Yoon and Kim have faced suspicions of exerting undue influence over the conservative People Power Party to nominate a specific candidate for a 2022 parliamentary by-election, allegedly at the request of Myung Tae-kyun, an election broker and founder of a polling agency who conducted free opinion surveys for Yoon .
Kim is separately linked to multiple corruption allegations, including claims that she received a necklace and other gifts through a fortuneteller acting as an intermediary for a Unification Church official seeking business favors, as well as possible involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme. While in office, , denouncing them as baseless political attacks.
Yoon’s after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a blockade of heavily armed soldiers and voted to revoke the measure. He was impeached by lawmakers on Dec. 14 and was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April.
Shortly after winning the early presidential election in June, new liberal President 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 Lee’s Democratic Party claims Yoon’s government tried to cover up.
Yoon had been released from prison in March after the Seoul Central District Court overturned his January arrest, but the same court approved his new arrest in July, accepting a special prosecutor’s claim that he poses a risk of destroying evidence.
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