Core Points - Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, admitted to receiving two Chanel handbags through a religious figure, Choi Sung-bae, and expressed deep regret for her actions [1][3] - The two Chanel handbags were valued at 12.71 million KRW (approximately 63,000 RMB) and 8.02 million KRW (approximately 39,500 RMB) [3] - Kim Keon-hee is facing multiple charges, including receiving items worth a total of 82.93 million KRW from the Unification Church and being involved in stock price manipulation with Deutsche Motor Company [3] Legal Context - Kim Keon-hee's legal team stated that she acknowledged receiving the handbags but denied any connection to bribery or influence peddling, specifically rejecting claims of receiving a Graff necklace [3] - She has been accused of accepting 58 instances of "customized public opinion surveys" from a political broker, valued at approximately 270 million KRW [3] - Currently, Kim Keon-hee is detained in a Seoul detention center and has requested bail due to health concerns [3]

Group 1 - The first hearing related to former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon-hee's corruption charges took place on September 24, marking a historic moment as she is the first former First Lady to appear as a defendant in court [2] - Kim Keon-hee faces three main charges: 1) colluding with individuals from Deutsche Motors to manipulate stock prices, resulting in illegal profits of approximately 810 million KRW; 2) receiving free public opinion survey services valued at around 270 million KRW during the presidential election campaign; 3) accepting high-priced luxury items, including a Chanel handbag and a Graff necklace, worth about 80 million KRW from a religious figure [3] - The courtroom atmosphere was tense, with a full audience of journalists and the public present, and the hearing lasted only 40 minutes before the judge adjourned [4] Group 2 - Kim Keon-hee's defense team completely denied the allegations, arguing that she had previously been cleared of suspicion in the stock manipulation case and had no involvement in the alleged collusion [3] - The defense emphasized that Kim Keon-hee only received individual poll results through KakaoTalk and that the campaign team conducted extensive polling independently [3] - Regarding the bribery case involving the Unification Church, the defense claimed that Kim Keon-hee did not receive any items and suggested that there was a delivery error based on text message evidence [3]

Core Points - The arrest of former First Lady Kim Keon-hee marks the first instance in South Korean constitutional history where both a former president and their spouse have been detained [1] - Kim Keon-hee is facing corruption charges related to stock manipulation and illegal political funding, with allegations of colluding to manipulate the stock price of Deutsch Motors, resulting in profits of 800 million KRW [2] - The special prosecutor's office was established under the new president Lee Jae-myung to investigate 16 criminal charges against Kim Keon-hee, although the recent arrest warrant only covers three of those charges [3] Summary by Categories Corruption Allegations - Kim Keon-hee is accused of manipulating the stock price of a local BMW dealer, Deutsch Motors, in collaboration with others, leading to a profit of 800 million KRW [2] - She is also alleged to have received illegal political funds exceeding 270 million KRW through free public opinion survey services, which were used to influence candidate selection for the conservative People Power Party in the 2022 by-elections [2] - Additional accusations include accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church in exchange for favorable treatment in Cambodian development projects [2] Legal Proceedings - Kim Keon-hee has been charged with violations of capital market law, financial investment law, and political funding law, but she denies all allegations [2] - The court issued a detention order based on concerns that she might destroy evidence [2] - Kim Keon-hee expressed frustration over the scrutiny of her personal affairs during the hearings, including issues from before her marriage [3] Political Context - Former President Yoon Suk-yeol was detained in July due to an investigation into a failed martial law attempt, which is linked to the ongoing criminal investigation of Kim Keon-hee [2] - The detention of both Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee highlights significant political turmoil and allegations of corruption within the South Korean government [2][3]

Core Points - The arrest of former First Lady Kim Keon-hee marks the first time in South Korean constitutional history that both a former president and their spouse have been detained [1] - Kim Keon-hee is accused of corruption, including manipulating the stock price of local BMW dealer Deutsch Motors, resulting in profits of 800 million KRW (approximately 580,000 USD) from 2009 to 2012 [1] - Additional allegations include receiving illegal political funds exceeding 270 million KRW through free public opinion survey services, which were used to influence candidate selection for the conservative People Power Party in the 2022 by-elections [1] Summary by Sections - **Corruption Allegations**: Kim Keon-hee is implicated in accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church through intermediaries in exchange for favorable treatment in Cambodian development projects [2] - **Legal Proceedings**: During the court hearing, Kim Keon-hee expressed frustration over the scrutiny of her personal affairs and the mention of pre-marital issues [4] - **Separation of Detention**: Kim Keon-hee will be held separately from her husband, former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has been detained since July [5] - **Political Context**: The investigation into Kim Keon-hee's alleged influence during Yoon Suk-yeol's presidency is ongoing, with a special prosecutor's office established to handle 16 criminal charges against her, although the recent arrest warrant covers only three of those charges [3]