South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee was arrested late Tuesday over a range of charges including stock manipulation and corruption, prosecutors said.

The arrest came hours after the Seoul Central District Court reviewed the prosecutors' arrest warrant request against the 52-year-old, further compounding her legal jeopardy with physical custody.

The court granted the warrant, citing the risk of tampering with evidence, according to Yonhap news agency.

With the arrest, South Korea now has a former president and first lady both behind bars -- the first such case in the nation's history.

"The arrest warrant against Kim has been issued," the prosecutors said in a brief statement.

The charges against Kim include violations of capital market and financial investment laws, as well as

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