Special Counsel Seeks New Warrant to Keep Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee in Custody

A special counsel team has asked South Korea’s Supreme Court to issue a new arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee, seeking to keep her in custody beyond the expiration of her current detention period at the end of this month.

The team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki submitted the request on Thursday, saying continued detention was necessary before the existing period expires on Oct. 31. Kim is the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and has remained in detention since August 2025.

The application comes while Kim awaits final decisions from the Supreme Court in two cases that produced separate prison terms at the appellate level. One appeals court sentenced her to four years in prison on corruption charges. Another imposed a five-year sentence for bribery and other offenses.

Those appellate judgments are not yet final because the cases remain before the country’s highest court. The special counsel’s latest move therefore concerns whether Kim will remain detained while the judicial process continues, rather than a new final determination of guilt or punishment. The Supreme Court has not yet announced a decision on the new warrant request.

A final ruling in the first case appears unlikely before the current detention deadline. The Supreme Court has scheduled a deliberation session for next Thursday, leaving a narrow window before Oct. 31. The timing creates the possibility that Kim’s existing detention authority could expire before the court resolves the appeal.

In explaining the filing, the special counsel team cited the approaching expiration date and said there was a need to maintain custody. The request places the immediate procedural question before the Supreme Court as it continues reviewing the appellate rulings.

Kim’s legal position now turns on two separate tracks. The Supreme Court must consider the merits of the appealed convictions, while it also faces the more immediate request concerning her detention status. A warrant would allow custody to continue as proceedings move forward; without additional legal authority, the current detention period is scheduled to end on Oct. 31.

The court’s response will determine whether Kim remains jailed during the next stage of the cases. Until the Supreme Court rules, the appellate sentences and the special counsel’s warrant application remain pending matters within the judicial process.