In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, a South Korean court sentenced Kim Keon Hee, former First Lady and wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, to one year and eight months in prison for accepting luxury gifts linked to alleged business favours. The verdict was delivered by the Seoul Central District Court following a high-profile corruption trial.
The court found Kim guilty of receiving a Chanel handbag and a high-end Graff necklace from an official associated with the Unification Church in July 2022. Prosecutors argued the gifts were bribes tied to requests for business favours, a claim the court partially upheld while ordering Kim to forfeit 12.8 million won.
However, Kim was acquitted of several major charges, including involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme related to Deutsch Motors and violations of the Political Funds Act. The court ruled that while Kim may have been aware of questionable activities, there was insufficient evidence to establish her direct participation.
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The prosecution, led by special counsel Min Joong-ki, had sought a 15-year prison sentence, calling the ruling lenient and announcing plans to appeal. Kim’s legal team also expressed dissatisfaction, stating they are reviewing options, including filing an appeal against the prison term.
In its remarks, the court stated that Kim had “misused her position” and failed to reject luxury items connected to external influence-seeking efforts. However, it did not classify another Chanel bag received earlier in 2022 as a bribe, citing the absence of specific requests at the time.
With this ruling, Kim and Yoon have become South Korea’s first former presidential couple to receive prison sentences with criminal convictions. Yoon Suk Yeol is already serving a five-year sentence related to his 2024 martial law bid and continues to face additional charges, including leading an insurrection, underscoring a dramatic fall from power for the once-prominent political duo.
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