South Korea's Supreme Court issued a new detention warrant for former first lady Kim Keon-hee on Tuesday, allowing two more months in custody, according to The Korea Herald and Korea JoongAng Daily. The move came days before her existing hold was due to end Saturday. She has been held since August 2025.

The new warrant is tied to a separate influence case while a top-court ruling is still pending in a stock-rigging, illegal funding, and bribery matter, both outlets report. Special counsel argued she might flee or destroy evidence because she denies the charges and faces the chance of a long prison term after a five-year sentence in another influence case. Her lawyers called the new warrant an improper bid to stretch detention through a separate case. They said it undercuts legal limits on pretrial custody.

Kim's first case involves alleged stock price rigging linked to Deutsch Motors, free opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun, and valuables from the Unification Church, The Korea Herald said. The new warrant can be renewed up to three more times for as long as eight months total, that outlet reported. Korea JoongAng Daily said the extension runs through the end of the year. She is held at the Seoul Nambu Detention Center, that paper said. A closed-door hearing preceded the order, The Korea Herald reported. President Yoon Suk Yeol's wife remains a central figure in the linked political cases covered by both papers.

What we know: The Supreme Court issued a fresh detention warrant Tuesday that keeps Kim Keon-hee locked up about two more months.
What we don't: When the pending Supreme Court verdict will land, and whether further renewals will follow.