South Korea: Special counsel summons ex-first lady Kim for third questioning

Seoul, Aug 19 A South Korean special counsel team on Tuesday summoned former first lady Kim Keon Hee for another round of questioning later this week, after grilling her for the second time on various corruption allegations against her.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said it notified Kim to appear for another session at 2 p.m. Thursday, which would mark Kim's third round of questioning since she was placed under arrest last week.

The special counsel team earlier had notified the former first lady to appear for questioning on Wednesday.

During the latest seven-hour session, Kim exercised her right to remain silent for most of the team's questions.

Kim's lawyers said it would be difficult for the former first lady to attend the next session, citing her health.

Kim was placed in custody at the detention centre in southwestern Seoul last week after a court issued a warrant to arrest her on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favours, Yonhap news agency reported.

On Monday, Jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at a special counsel to undergo questioning for the second time, less than a week after her arrest over corruption allegations.

Kim was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul in a prison van to attend the questioning.

The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul last week after a court issued a warrant to arrest her on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favors.

She was mainly questioned on charges of interference in the candidate nominations from 10 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. and is being questioned about the stock manipulation case in the afternoon, assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee said during a press briefing.

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