South Korea: Ex-first lady's 'butler' attends arrest warrant hearing over embezzlement

Seoul, Aug 15 (IANS) An associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared for a court hearing Friday for his arrest on charges of embezzlement as part of a special counsel probe targetting the former first lady.

Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of the former first lady's family, arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul nearly two hours before the hearing scheduled at 2 pm, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kim is accused of embezzling 3.38 billion won (USD 2.43 million) from IMS Mobility, a company he helped establish, in 2023.

The court is expected to announce its decision on whether to issue the warrant later in the day or early Saturday.

A special counsel team requested the arrest warrant Thursday, two days after he was detained by investigators upon returning from Vietnam in what they believe was an attempt to flee following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee's husband.

Kim Ye-seong is suspected of receiving 18.4 billion won in illegal investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility Corp., for IMS Mobility.

Considering that IMS Mobility was effectively in a state of capital impairment at the time of the investments, the special prosecutors suspect the companies invested in IMS Mobility in consideration of its connection to Kim and the former first lady.

The special counsel team is also looking into whether the embezzled funds or related profits were funneled to the former first lady's family.

Kim has denied any wrongdoing and described the special counsel's investigation as a "witch hunt."

He has been closely associated with the former first lady for over a decade and is believed to have extensive knowledge of the family's financial matters.

Earlier on Thursday, South Korea's jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at a special counsel's office on Thursday to undergo questioning for the first time since her arrest earlier this week over corruption charges.

Kim was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul in a prison van after departing Seoul Southern Detention Centre in handcuffs, according to correctional authorities.

She was hidden from public view as the van used the underground parking route.

The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul on Wednesday 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.

--IANS

akl/as