Former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung appeared for a court decision on an arrest warrant regarding her suspected involvement in the Moon Jae-in administration's alleged blacklisting of officials from the previous Park Geun-hye administration.

Kim arrived at the Seoul Eastern District Court around ten minutes before the hearing at 10:30 a.m. on Monday and said she will do her best to explain the situation and await the court's decision.  

She is suspected of influencing dozens of senior officials from ministry-affiliated organizations to resign in order to replace them with pro-government figures and ordering an audit of those who were refusing to step down.

The investigation was launched after the main opposition Liberty Korea Party filed a complaint against five officials in December, including Kim, accusing them of abusing their authority.

If arrested, Kim would become the Moon administration's first Cabinet minister to be taken into custody and the first person to be arrested in the prosecution's probe into the alleged blacklist.

The decision on Kim's arrest is expected to be announced late Monday or early Tuesday.