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Special counsel raids police, lawmakers in ex-first lady probe

Published: 08 Jul. 2025, 20:32

Kim Keon Hee, wife former President Yoon Suk Yeol [YONHAP]

A special counsel team raided the national police agency and the offices and homes of current and former lawmakers Tuesday as part of its investigation into corruption allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee, legal sources said.

In a statement to the media, the team said it was executing a search warrant at the Korean National Police Agency to obtain relevant materials in cooperation with the agency.

The team also carried out search and seizure operations at the office and home of main opposition People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun in Seoul, as well as the home of former PPP Rep. Kim Young-sun in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, the sources said.

In addition, investigators were searching the home of former prosecutor Kim Sang-min, they said.

The raids are part of special counsel Min Joong-ki's investigation into allegations the former first lady, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, meddled in the PPP's nomination of candidates for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections.

In the case of the 2022 elections, the former president has also been suspected of involvement.

In a previously disclosed phone call, allegedly recorded in May 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol suggested to self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun that he would instruct Yoon Sang-hyun to make sure Kim Young-sun won the party's nomination for a district in the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

Meanwhile, in the case of the 2024 general elections, the former first lady is suspected of having tried to get the former prosecutor nominated for the district previously won by Kim Young-sun.

Yonhap