Former South Korean first lady now a suspect in bribery scandal, summoned for questioning
Both Kim and Yoon were called in for separate questioning as 'suspects' under a parliament-mandated investigation, special prosecutors said on Monday. Yoon is set to appear next Tuesday, while Kim will face scrutiny on August 6, according to Assistant Special Prosecutor Moon Hong-joo.
Kim's legal team has said she intends to cooperate, though they also indicate she may seek a postponement.
'Kim Keon-hee was widely believed to have exerted outsize influence over both her husband and state affairs, earning her the nickname 'VIP No 1',' Jung Suk-koo, former executive editor of the progressive Hankyoreh newspaper, told This Week in Asia.
Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol after a hearing in Seoul on July 9. Photo: Newsis/Xinhua
'The fact that she is now being questioned suggests that momentum is building to finally expose the wrongdoings that plagued the Yoon administration.'
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