The former first lady of South Korea, Kim Keon Hee, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after a court found her guilty of accepting bribes linked to political and business favours.
Kim, 52, is the wife of South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol. The ruling marks the first time in the country’s history that a former presidential couple have both been convicted, making it a landmark moment in South Korean politics.
The Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Woo In-sung, ruled on Wednesday that Kim had “misused her position for personal gain” after accepting gifts from the controversial Unification Church between April and July 2022.
According to a special counsel team, Kim received gifts worth 80 million won (about $56,000), including a Graff diamond necklace and several Chanel handbags, in exchange for political influence and business favours.
While the court cleared Kim of charges related to stock price manipulation and receiving free political opinion polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election, the judge said her conduct still warranted a custodial sentence.
“The higher one’s position, the more consciously one must guard against such conduct,” Judge Woo said, adding that Kim had failed to reject improper solicitations.
Prosecutors had sought a 15-year jail term and a 2 billion won fine on three charges. However, the court noted that Kim did not directly solicit the bribes and had no significant prior criminal record.
Kim was also ordered to repay 12.85 million won in cash, while the court approved the confiscation of the diamond necklace.
Her husband, former president Yoon Suk Yeol, was previously sentenced to five years in prison for abusing power and obstructing justice over his failed martial law attempt in 2024.
Kim has denied wrongdoing, calling the charges “deeply unjust,” though she acknowledged receiving Chanel handbags, which she said were later returned unused. She issued a public apology during questioning last August.
Investigations into the case also led to the arrest of Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja.
Separately, Kim has faced academic controversy. In 2024, Sookmyung Women’s University annulled her master’s degree after an ethics panel ruled that her thesis involved plagiarism.
Additional cases involving allegations of political recruitment and influence-peddling linked to church members are still pending before the courts.
