A Seoul court has approved the arrest of former first lady Kim Keon Hee on allegations including stock price manipulation, interference in election processes, and bribery, Korea JoongAng Daily reports.

This arrest follows her husband, ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol, who is already in custody— marking the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that both a former leader and their spouse are jailed simultaneously.

The Seoul Central District Court granted the warrant citing fears of evidence tampering. Kim faces accusations under the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and legislation on aggravated punishment for specific economic crimes.

Prosecutors allege her role in manipulating shares of Deutsch Motors, a BMW distributor, between 2009 and 2012, meddling in the People Power Party’s candidate selections for the 2022 by-elections and the 2023 general elections, and accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church via a shaman in exchange for favours.

During a four-hour hearing, her legal team argued she had complied with all summonses, posed no flight risk, and was unwell. The special counsel presented as evidence a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, valued at over KRW60mn ($44,400), worn by Kim during the NATO summit in Spain.

She reportedly denies all charges and has faced questioning over 16 separate allegations. Upon arrival at the detention centre, she will undergo standard intake procedures, including identity verification, a medical examination, and placement in solitary confinement. Her husband, Yoon, remains in custody over an attempted martial law declaration in December 2024.