First-Ever Jailing of a Former Presidential Couple, Kim and Yoon

Presence to Detention

 First in History: Former President and First Lady Behind Bars at the Same Time

On August 12, First Lady Kim Keon-hee was taken into custody at the Seoul Southern Detention Center on charges related to stock manipulation in connection with Deutsche Motors (violations of the Capital Markets Act). Following the incarceration of former President Yoon Suk-yeol at the Seoul Detention Center, this marks the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that a former president and first lady have been jailed simultaneously.

During Yoon’s presidency, Kim appeared to have shaken off her legal troubles when prosecutors cleared her of wrongdoing in the Chanel handbag bribery scandal and the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegations. But just 42 days after the launch of the special investigation team led by Independent Counsel Min Joong-ki, she ultimately found herself behind bars.

Seoul Central District Court Judge Jeong Jae-wook, who oversees arrest warrants, explained the decision simply: there was “a risk of evidence destruction.”

A Silent Courtroom Presence

At 10:10 a.m., Kim entered Courtroom 321 in the west wing of the Seoul Central District Court for her detention hearing. Over the course of 4 hours and 25 minutes, she kept her head lowered, eyes fixed on the floor, leaving her defense entirely to her lawyers. When the special prosecutor’s team projected a PowerPoint presentation to emphasize the need for her detention, she shut her eyes tightly.

In her final statement, Kim said only: “It’s upsetting that issues from before my marriage are still being brought up. I ask the judge to please make a fair decision.”

Representing Kim were attorneys Choi Ji-woo, Chae Myung-sung, and Yoo Jeong-hwa. Across the aisle, the special counsel team, led by Senior Prosecutor Han Moon-hyuk — who has been investigating the Deutsche Motors case — showed up in force with eight members in total. Kim’s lawyers countered with an 80-plus-page PPT presentation, denying the charges outright.

The Special Counsel’s “Hidden Card” — A Confession Letter

The defense strategy faltered when prosecutors unexpectedly unveiled a confession letter from Lee Bong-kwan, chairman of Seohi Construction. In the statement, dated 2022, Lee admitted giving Kim a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace worth about 60 million won (approx. $44,000).

The letter went further, stating that “right after the presidential election, I met Kim Keon-hee at a restaurant in Acrovista and personally presented the necklace as a congratulatory gift for her husband’s inauguration.” It also revealed that at their first meeting, Lee invited Kim to attend a morning prayer meeting, and in a subsequent encounter, asked her to find out whether his son-in-law could secure a position in the Yoon administration — effectively acknowledging a solicitation.

Kim Keon-hee’s Necklace Scandal Deepens — and Leads to Historic Arrest

In December of last year, just before the 12.3 Martial Law crisis, First Lady Kim Keon-hee returned a luxury necklace to Lee Bong-kwan, chairman of Seohi Construction. Observers believe this was a calculated move to prepare for an anticipated special counsel probe, as lawmakers from the Democratic Party renewed calls for an independent investigation into Kim’s alleged misconduct. The timing strongly suggests Kim herself recognized the gift as a bribe.

With the bribe-giver openly admitting to his solicitation, Kim — named as the recipient — found herself cornered. The breaking point came during her detention hearing, when it was revealed that her earlier claim — that the necklace was a fake purchased in Hong Kong in 2010 — was false.

The necklace, confirmed by Lee to have been given to Kim in 2022, was the same piece she was photographed wearing during the Yoon administration’s NATO summit trip, sparking suspicions of an omission from her official asset disclosures. The special counsel’s investigation further found that the necklace had been purchased by Lee’s chief of staff. Facing mounting scrutiny, Lee appears to have preemptively submitted a confession letter acknowledging the facts.

Wired explanation on the Van Cleef and Apel necklace.

“2010 Hong Kong Fake” Defense Collapses

During the hearing, prosecutors dramatically produced both the genuine necklace and a counterfeit version found at the home of Kim’s brother’s mother-in-law. The genuine necklace was the one returned to Seohi Construction after Lee’s gift; the fake is suspected to have been purchased later by Kim to back up her claim that the NATO trip necklace was a replica.

Special Counsel Oh Jung-hee briefed reporters afterward, stating: “We obtained the genuine necklace directly from Seohi Construction, which had received it back from Mrs. Kim years after giving it to her. She wore it right after President Yoon’s inauguration, during the NATO trip, but in the investigation she claimed it was a fake bought 20 years ago in Hong Kong. We will investigate thoroughly how the counterfeit was found at her Incheon residence.”

The day’s proceedings left little doubt: Kim had lied repeatedly about the necklace, attempted to destroy evidence by obtaining a fake, and maintained blanket denials in the face of mounting proof. In cases like this, the possibility of evidence destruction is the foremost criterion for detention — making Lee’s confession letter a likely decisive factor in her arrest.

Judge Jeong Jae-wook, presiding over the hearing, even addressed Kim directly: “Is it true you received the necklace?” This was the sole question he personally put to her during the proceedings.

First-Ever Jailing of a Former Presidential Couple

The detention hearing began at 10:10 a.m. and concluded 4 hours and 25 minutes later, at 2:35 p.m. Shortly after 3 p.m., Kim was transported by Ministry of Justice vehicle to the Seoul Southern Detention Center, where she awaited the court’s decision.

Once the arrest warrant was issued, detention center staff immediately escorted her to a holding cell. The special counsel’s office plans to keep her in custody for up to 20 days before deciding whether to indict. The initial charges will likely focus on cases already under substantial investigation — including the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, allegations of meddling in candidate nominations involving Myung Tae-kyun, and influence-peddling by “Geonjin Beopsa.” Additional indictments are expected as other investigations progress.