Popular Former First Lady Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison
- Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to 20 months in prison for accepting bribes linked to the Unification Church
- The court ordered Kim to return a diamond necklace and repay 12.85 million won, while clearing her of stock manipulation charges
- The ruling marked the first time a former presidential couple in South Korea had been convicted simultaneously
South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after a court found her guilty of accepting bribes linked to the controversial Unification Church.
The ruling adds another chapter to the country’s recent political turmoil and marks an unprecedented moment in its judicial history.
Source: Getty Images
Kim, 52, the wife of ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol, was also ordered to return a diamond necklace and repay 12.85 million won in cash.
The Seoul Central District Court, however, cleared her of charges relating to stock price manipulation and the alleged receipt of free opinion polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election, which her husband won.
Court delivers historic verdict against ex-first lady
The judgment means that both Kim and her husband now stand convicted, making them the first former presidential couple in South Korea to be sentenced at the same time.
Yoon was earlier jailed for five years over abuse of power and obstruction of justice connected to his failed martial law attempt in 2024.
Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, Judge Woo In Sung said Kim had abused the influence associated with her position.
He said she had “misused her position as a means of pursuing personal gain”. The judge added:
“The higher [one's] position, the more consciously one must guard against such conduct... The defendant failed to reject solicitations and was preoccupied with self-adornment.”
Source: Getty Images
Ex-first lady received gifts linked to favours
Prosecutors told the court that Kim received gifts worth about 80 million won from the Unification Church between April and July 2022.
The items allegedly included a Graff diamond necklace and several Chanel handbags. Investigators said the gifts were given in return for business and political favours.
A special counsel team had sought a 15-year prison sentence and a fine of 2 billion won on three charges. The court imposed a shorter sentence, noting that Kim did not directly demand the gifts and had no significant prior criminal record.
Despite the reduced sentence, the judge ordered the confiscation of the diamond necklace and repayment of part of the cash received.
Kim had previously denied wrongdoing but admitted to receiving Chanel bags, which she said were later returned unused.
Former first lady issues statement
Following the verdict, Kim issued a brief statement accepting the court’s decision. “I humbly accept the court's stern admonition and will not take its weight lightly,” she said.
“Once again, I sincerely apologise to everyone for the concern I have caused.”
The former first lady still faces other legal challenges. She has been charged over allegations involving the recruitment of Unification Church followers into the ruling People Power Party and the acceptance of gifts in exchange for government job appointments. Those cases have yet to be heard.
Beyond the criminal charges, Kim has also been embroiled in academic controversy. Last year, Sookmyung Women’s University annulled her 1999 master’s degree after an ethics panel concluded that her thesis contained plagiarism.
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Former oil minister Diezani spent N3.8bn at luxury store
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a London court had heard that more than £2 million was spent at luxury department store Harrods on behalf of a former Nigerian oil minister now standing trial over alleged bribery linked to oil and gas contracts.
Prosecutors told jurors that the spending formed part of an arrangement that provided an extravagant lifestyle in the United Kingdom.
Source: Legit.ng
