Prosecutors raid party HQ after arrest

SOUTH Korean prosecutors raided the headquarters of the former party of jailed ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol yesterday to gather evidence in an election meddling case against his wife, a day after she was arrested on corruption and other charges.

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Former first lady Kim Keon Hee was arrested this week on a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption, prosecutors said.

Her arrest came hours after Seoul Central District Court reviewed the prosecutors’ request for an arrest warrant against the 52-year-old.

The court granted the warrant, citing the risk of tampering with evidence, after prosecutors submitted an 848-page opinion laying out Kim's alleged “unlawful acts”.

Prosecutors said yesterday they raided the People Power Party office to collect evidence of Kim's alleged meddling in parliamentary elections.

Yoon quit the party in May after his removal from office but endorsed its candidate in the snap presidential election that was won by the Democratic Party’s Lee Jae Myung.

Opposition leader Song Eon-seog slammed the raid as “nothing short of gangster behaviour”.