Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee is under scrutiny following revelations that she used a secure presidential phone line to speak with a top aide just weeks before being questioned in a major stock price manipulation and bribery probe.
The calls represent a significant development in the ongoing investigation led by independent counsel Min Joong-ki into Kim Keon Hee’s potential involvement in state affairs and possible preferential treatment by prosecutors as Korean media reported.
This comes after confirmation on Monday (16 June) that Kim Joo-hyun also used a secure line to speak with Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung last October — around the time prosecutors dropped charges against the first lady in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case.
Opposition lawmakers argue the calls may have been part of an effort to coordinate a response to the investigation.
“The use of a secure phone by Kim Keon Hee supports suspicions that she was involved in managing state affairs,” said Kim Hyun-jung, spokesperson for the Democratic Party. “Kim Joo-hyun, in his role as senior civil affairs secretary, appears to have acted as a legal proxy for both President Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee to suppress investigations.”
Following confirmation of the secure calls between Shim and Kim Joo-hyun, the special counsel team’s probe may extend to the prosecution.
Shim has denied discussing any criminal cases with Kim Joo-hyun, saying on Monday, “There was no call related to a prosecutorial case.”
Ex-First Lady Kim Keon Hee has been hospitalized at Asan Medical Center in Seoul for severe depression, according to sources in the legal and medical communities. Her health condition was reported to not be critical.
Independent counsel Min Joong-ki said he learned of her hospitalization through media reports and would determine next steps after appointing deputy prosecutors.
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South Korea will soon cease to be one of the few countries where Google Maps does not function fully, after its security-conscious government reversed a two-decade-old policy and approved the export of high-precision map data to overseas servers.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday (26 February) he will focus on expanding his country’s nuclear arsenal and that prospects for improving relations with the U.S. depend entirely on Washington’s approach, state media KCNA reported.
South Korea and the United States will conduct joint military drills, known as Freedom Shield, from 9 to 19 March, military officials from both countries announced on Wednesday.
A “Victory will be ours” banner was hung on the Russian Embassy in Seoul, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It remains on display despite a request from the South Korean Foreign Ministry on Sunday (22 February) for its removal, sparking widespread criticism.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
Greek frigates have arrived in southern Cyprus after drone strikes hit the British base on the island. The Middle East conflict has left thousands stranded across the Gulf, flights are grounded, and the U.S. has confirmed the first American troops killed as fears grow of further casualties.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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