ANKARA 

South Korean prosecutors raided the private residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday as part of a widening investigation into alleged bribery and influence-peddling involving his family and a controversial shaman, Yonhap News reported.

Prosecutors from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office conducted the search at Yoon’s home in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, seeking evidence linked to shaman Jeon Seong-bae, who is accused of acting as an intermediary in delivering lavish gifts to former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.

The probe centers on claims that a senior Unification Church official gifted a diamond necklace and luxury handbag to Jeon shortly after Yoon took office in 2022, allegedly intended for Kim.

Yoon was removed from office earlier this month by South Korea’s Constitutional Court following backlash over a brief martial law decree issued on Dec. 3, which was widely condemned and quickly overturned.

He also faces separate charges of leading an insurrection, and if convicted, could be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty.