South Korea’s former first lady apologizes amid deepening corruption probe - VIDEO
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee publicly apologized on Wednesday as she appeared for questioning over a long list of corruption allegations that plagued her husband Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidency. Arriving at the special prosecutor’s office in Seoul, Kim said, “I am truly sorry that a nobody like myself has caused concern for everyone in the country,” but declined to answer any questions from reporters about the charges against her.
Kim, who has been at the center of numerous scandals for over a decade, is under investigation for alleged bribery, stock manipulation, and illicit influence-peddling. The probe, launched by special prosecutors after Yoon’s impeachment and removal from office, has cast a long shadow over the former first couple. Her alleged wrongdoing ranges from receiving luxury goods—including Chanel bags, a diamond necklace, and a Van Cleef pendant valued at more than 60 million won—to benefiting from questionable financial dealings. Prosecutors say some of the gifts were exchanged for political favors, and media reports also link her to an undisclosed multimillion-dollar artwork and tens of thousands of dollars in cash, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee apologized as she appeared for questioning by investigators on a string of corruption charges that plagued her husband's term, calling herself 'a nobody' https://t.co/8uq9Bu2HSO pic.twitter.com/nPC40f8lVr
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 6, 2025
This isn’t the first time Kim has found herself in the spotlight. Even before Yoon’s narrow election victory in 2022, she admitted to falsifying her academic records and promised to act responsibly as the spouse of a national leader. However, the controversy only intensified during Yoon’s term, especially after a hidden camera video emerged showing Kim accepting a Christian Dior handbag. State prosecutors chose not to pursue charges at the time, but the investigation was reopened after Yoon’s fall from power.
Yoon, a former chief prosecutor who famously helped jail ex-president Park Geun-hye in 2017, is now facing charges of insurrection. Prosecutors accuse him of attempting to impose martial law in December, an act that triggered a six-month political crisis. He has refused to cooperate with the investigation since being jailed on July 10, claiming the charges are politically motivated.
South Korea has a long history of political figures facing legal action after leaving office, and while public apologies like Kim’s are not uncommon, they are rarely interpreted as admissions of guilt. Her legal team has denied all allegations, labeling recent media reports as unfounded speculation.
The scandal surrounding Kim Keon Hee and Yoon Suk Yeol has once again exposed deep fractures in South Korean politics, where allegations of abuse of power, privilege, and corruption continue to fuel public distrust in the country’s leadership.
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