Former first lady to appear for questioning on Wednesday

Police and people stand in front of the office of independent prosecutors in Gwanghwamun central Seoul on Aug 5 2025 Yonhap — Reporters gather in front of independent prosecutors' office in Jongno, central Seoul on Aug. 5, 2025. Yonhap

SEOUL, August 5 (AJP) - While disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been stalling questioning, his wife and ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee is expected to appear for questioning on Wednesday over a slew of allegations.

Once she does, Kim will become the first former first lady to be publicly summoned in the country's modern history.

She has been accused of accepting bribes including a luxury handbag and jewelry, being involved in a stock manipulation scheme, and interfering in candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections.

Some of her charges had previously been dismissed, but fresh evidence uncovered by independent prosecutors has led to the reopening of related probes.

Kim earlier said she would faithfully undergo questioning, though it remains to be seen whether she will fully cooperate.

Meanwhile, prosecutors, who failed to forcibly bring in Yoon for questioning from a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province last week, are expected to make another attempt later this week before a warrant to arrest him, issued by the Seoul Central District Court, expires on Thursday.

They had to leave the prison empty-handed, as Yoon reportedly protested vehemently by lying almost bare-naked on the floor of his cell, refusing to comply with prosecutors' repeated requests to respond to questioning.

But Yoon claimed he had to do so because of health issues, including difficulty regulating his body temperature, denouncing prosecutors for "publicly shaming" him by inappropriately revealing these personal ailments.

Im Yoon-seo lyseo0330@ajupress.com