South Korean ex-first lady sentenced to 7 years for bribery scandal

FILE – South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors, in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 12, 2025.

Jung Yeon-je/Pool AFP via AP

Jung Yeon-je/Pool AFP via AP

SEOUL, South Korea — The wife of ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday after a court convicted her of accepting luxury gifts from businesspeople and others seeking political and business favors.

The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court came months after an appeals court sentenced the ex-first lady, Kim Keon Hee, to four years in prison in a separate case over charges that she accepted gifts from the Unification Church and profited from a stock price manipulation scheme.

“Given the nature of the position, a president’s spouse must exercise the highest degree of self-restraint and vigilance,” said Judge Jo Soon-pyo. “Nevertheless, defendant Kim Keon Hee neglected that social responsibility and repeatedly accepted valuables by exploiting her influence as a means of brokering favors.”

The court also ordered the confiscation of gifts Kim had received, including a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond necklace, a Tiffany brooch, a Dior handbag, a storage case for a gold turtle figurine and a painting by famous Korean artist Lee Ufan.

Wearing a gray suit and a white face mask, Kim, who has admitted receiving the gifts but denied they were tied to favors, quietly listened to the verdict with her head bowed. She has been standing trial in multiple cases since her arrest last August.

Kim’s legal team, in a statement, criticized Friday’s verdict as being based on a “loose interpretation” of insufficient evidence and said it would appeal.

Yoon was removed from office in April 2025, months after he was impeached over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024 following a standoff with the liberal opposition, which held a legislative majority and blocked much of his agenda. Arrested in July 2025, the former conservative leader is standing trial in multiple cases and has appealed a life sentence for rebellion and a separate 30-year prison term over charges that he ordered drone flights over North Korea’s capital to inflame tensions and justify martial law at home.

Liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who won an early presidential election last year to replace Yoon, has authorized multiple investigations into Yoon’s martial law imposition and other allegations involving his government and wife.

A special prosecutor indicted Kim in December over various bribery charges, including that she in 2022 received the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and other jewelry items worth a combined 138 million won ($90,000) from Seohee Construction Chairman Lee Bong-kwan, in exchange for securing a government post for Lee’s son-in-law. The court found Kim guilty on that charge and also gave Lee a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, in Friday’s ruling.

Kim was also convicted of accepting a luxury watch from businessman Seo Seong-bin, who sought government support for his robotic dogs business; a Dior handbag and other gifts from Pastor Choi Jae-yong, who wanted to join a civilian diplomatic delegation and other government-funded programs; a gold turtle and a traditional painting from former National Education Commission chief Lee Bae-yong, who lobbied for her appointment; and a painting by Lee Ufan worth 140 million won ($90,900) from former senior prosecutor Kim Sang-min, who sought the conservative party’s nomination for the 2024 legislative elections.

The court gave Seo and Lee Bae-yong suspended prison sentences and fined Choi 8 million won ($5,200).

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