ANKARA

Prosecutors on Thursday sought an arrest warrant for South Korea's former first lady a day after questioning her over allegations of election meddling and bribery charges, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, appeared at the special counsel's office Wednesday to undergo questioning over her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections, and taking bribes in exchange for business favors for the Unification Church.

Kim denies the accusations.

She is the first former or sitting first lady in the history of South Korea to have been probed by prosecutors.

Separately, a special counsel team suspended its execution of a warrant Thursday to interrogate Yoon over allegations of election meddling, citing concerns of injury due to his "stubborn refusal."

This is the second time in less than a week the team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki's team has failed to execute the warrant for Yoon.

"We directed the Seoul Detention Center to execute the detention warrant, and used physical force, but upon accepting opinions on-site that due to former President Yoon's stubborn refusal there are concerns of injury, we suspended the execution," the team said in a statement.

Yoon's lawyers, for their part, denounced the detention attempt as "public shaming."

"Even if a detention warrant has been issued for the purpose of investigation, if former President Yoon says he will exercise his right to remain silent, the detention warrant should not be executed," they said.

Yoon has been held in custody at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, since July 10 on charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.

Last Friday, when Min's team attempted to bring in Yoon for questioning, the former president reportedly resisted by lying on the floor of his cell.

Writing by Aamir Latif