Former South Korean First Lady and PM Indicted After Yoon Suk Yeol’s Ouster

South Korea has indicted former first lady Kim Keon Hee and ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo following the ouster of ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol. Kim faces bribery and funding charges, while Han is accused of aiding Yoon’s martial law. The cases mark a major fallout from Yoon’s controversial presidency and impeachment.

South Korea’s political crisis deepened on Friday as former first lady Kim Keon Hee and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo were formally indicted in ongoing investigations that followed the impeachment and arrest of ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol. The charges stem from alleged abuses of power, corruption, and efforts to legitimize martial law declared by Yoon in December last year.

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of the jailed former president, faces charges of violating financial market laws, accepting bribes, and breaching political funding regulations. Her indictment came just two weeks after a court issued an arrest order against her. Investigators accuse her of using her influence to help manipulate opinion surveys and steer a 2022 party nomination, potentially shaping the presidential primaries in Yoon’s favor.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was charged with aiding Yoon’s imposition of martial law, a move authorities now label as a rebellion. He is also accused of falsifying official documents and lying under oath. Prosecutors claim Han helped push Yoon’s decree through a Cabinet Council meeting to give it an appearance of legal legitimacy, despite having the authority to stop it.

Three special investigations were launched under the current administration led by liberal President Lee Jae Myung. Several top officials, including military and police commanders, have already been arrested in connection with the martial law crackdown, which began in December 2024.

Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in December and officially removed from office in April. He was rearrested in July and is now in custody as investigations continue. His former allies are facing increasing legal pressure, further dismantling the power structure he left behind.

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The indictments signal a broader effort to restore democratic norms and hold high-ranking officials accountable for what has been described as one of South Korea’s most serious constitutional breaches in decades.