Former first lady of South Korea to sleep on a mattress on the floor in jail

Kim Keon Hee was arrested on Tuesday (12) on charges of corruption, bribery, and stock manipulation. The former first lady of South Korea, Kim Keon Hee, will spend her first day in jail on Wednesday (13), in a cell very similar to the one her husband and former president Yoon Suk Yeol occupies, as prosecutors pursue the couple, one of the most influential, in an expanding criminal investigation. Kim was arrested at the Seoul Nambu Detention Center on the outskirts of the capital Seoul, a relatively new correctional unit opened in 2011 and one of the few managed by a female director. She will be treated like other inmates but will receive minor adjustments to her daily routine, given her status as a prominent figure, said a source familiar with the matter to Reuters. The former first lady was arrested after a court approved a warrant against her on Tuesday night (12), alleging that she could destroy evidence amid an ongoing investigation into bribery, stock fraud, and influence peddling. Kim’s lawyers denied the allegations against her and dismissed as unfounded speculation the news about some of the gifts she supposedly received in exchange for favors. She apologized for causing concern to the people of the country and referred to herself as ‘a nobody’ when attending questioning last week. Her single cell has a small table that can be used as a desk and for meals, as well as a mattress on the floor for sleeping, according to the source, who asked not to be identified because she was not authorized to speak to the press. Kim Keon Hee will have separate access to a shared bathroom and will be able to exercise outdoors for one hour every day, except on Sundays, at staggered times to avoid overlap with other inmates, the source said. Prison will be a completely new experience for Kim, unlike her husband, who has already spent about 100 days in prison. Yoon is being tried for the failed attempt to impose martial law, under the charge of insurrection, a charge he denies. The former president is imprisoned at the Seoul Detention Center, which, despite the name, is located outside the capital, to the south. More about Kim Keon Hee: The couple lived in a spacious apartment in an upscale neighborhood of Seoul before Yoon’s election as president in May 2022 and returned there after the deposition by martial law, which resulted in a political disaster for him, his party, and now his wife. Kim Keon Hee is a wealthy entrepreneur in her own right, and most of the couple’s assets, including the apartment, belong to her, according to a government database. Now, Kim will receive the same food as an average inmate, usually traditional Korean dishes prepared at a cost of about 1,500 won (approximately $5.86) per meal. On Wednesday (13), toast with strawberry jam, sausages, and salad were on the breakfast menu. The former first lady had not eaten anything since Tuesday night (12) and was not feeling well, one of her lawyers told Reuters. It was unclear if she would attend interrogation by prosecutors next Thursday (14), the lawyer said. An expert in fine arts who founded and ran a successful curation agency, Kim was involved in various scandals before and after her husband’s election in 2022, with controversies sometimes overshadowing Yoon’s turbulent presidency. Her fashion choices and political activities, such as promoting the ban on dog meat consumption, made her controversial in a country where first ladies are expected to maintain discretion. Han Dong-soo, a former judge and prosecutor who worked with Yoon, said Kim had ‘a politically strategic mind’ and was a driving force behind her husband’s rise to important positions. After marrying Yoon when he was 52, Kim Keon Hee became the main influence on virtually all of his thoughts and decisions, Han said. Kim was 39 when they married. ‘Kim Keon Hee chose him,’ Han stated. ‘And she gave him the strategy and energy to become president.’