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.

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.

South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, appeared on Tuesday in court, where a judge will decide whether to approve a special prosecutor's request for a warrant to arrest her on accusations of graft.