SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday appeared as a witness in Yoon's trial over election-related violations.
Tuesday's hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul drew particular attention as it was the couple's first court appearance together, also marking their first encounter in several months since being held in separate remand prisons.
After taking an oath, Kim answered only a few questions related to her identity and otherwise repeatedly said she would refuse to testify on most issues, claiming she had no knowledge of or involvement in the allegations.
Prosecutors suspect that Yoon, along with Kim, was involved in interfering with candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections through dubious political broker Myung Tae-kyun, who allegedly influenced state affairs by offering advice on various matters.
Yoon and Kim were indicted on charges of receiving opinion polls worth 270 million Korean won (US$183,000) free of charge from Myung in exchange for securing the nomination of Kim Young-sun, the former lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), while Kim was found not guilty on that charge among a slew of other charges at the first-instance trial in January.
During their 50-minute court appearance, Yoon gazed at Kim as she took to the witness stand, whispering to his lawyers. He also kept his eyes on her as she left the courtroom.
Meanwhile, the court plans to hold the case's final hearing in mid-May, with a verdict expected sometime in June.
Tuesday's hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul drew particular attention as it was the couple's first court appearance together, also marking their first encounter in several months since being held in separate remand prisons.
After taking an oath, Kim answered only a few questions related to her identity and otherwise repeatedly said she would refuse to testify on most issues, claiming she had no knowledge of or involvement in the allegations.
Prosecutors suspect that Yoon, along with Kim, was involved in interfering with candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections through dubious political broker Myung Tae-kyun, who allegedly influenced state affairs by offering advice on various matters.
Yoon and Kim were indicted on charges of receiving opinion polls worth 270 million Korean won (US$183,000) free of charge from Myung in exchange for securing the nomination of Kim Young-sun, the former lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), while Kim was found not guilty on that charge among a slew of other charges at the first-instance trial in January.
During their 50-minute court appearance, Yoon gazed at Kim as she took to the witness stand, whispering to his lawyers. He also kept his eyes on her as she left the courtroom.
Meanwhile, the court plans to hold the case's final hearing in mid-May, with a verdict expected sometime in June.
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