South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee has been arrested after a court late on Tuesday issued a warrant to arrest her following accusations of graft that she denies, a special prosecutor leading a wide-reaching probe said.

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.Controversy has long surrounded Kim, with lingering questions about her alleged role in stock manipulation.

Kim Keon Hee, accused of accepting Chanel bags and other items as bribes, is the only former first lady in the country to have been put behind bars. Her husband has also been jailed on insurrection charges.