Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, says she cannot cooperate in the prosecution's summons for questioning over allegations that she had intervened in the conservative party's election nominations.

In a statement of explanation submitted on Tuesday, the former first lady said it would be difficult for her to attend the interrogation the following day as it could result in speculative reporting and impact the upcoming presidential election on June 3.

Earlier, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office probing the allegations notified Kim to appear on Wednesday as a suspect on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and the Political Funds Act.

Kim faces allegations of exercising undue influence to secure former People Power Party(PPP) Rep. Kim Young-sun's nomination in the 2022 by-elections, in return for having power broker Myung Tae-kyun's polling firm conduct surveys ahead of the 2022 presidential election for free.

Kim is also suspected of intervening in the PPP's nomination for the mayoral race in Pohang ahead of the 2022 local elections, and seeking to have a former prosecutor run for office in the 2024 general elections.