Seoul: A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to seven years in prison for taking expensive gifts in return for job appointments and business favors. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the sentence to Kim, wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, following her indictment on charges of accepting bribes for mediation, including over 100 million won (US$64,750) worth of jewelry in exchange for a government job for a son-in-law of a construction company chairman.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim was charged with accepting approximately 300 million won worth of gifts, and the court found her guilty on all counts. During the televised hearing, presiding judge Cho Sun-pyo stated, "The defendant disregarded the social responsibilities associated with the position of first lady and used it merely as a means to pursue her private interests."
Kim's indictment in December included charges of receiving a Van Cleef and Arpels necklace and other jewelry from the construction company chairman between March and May 2022. She was also accused of accepting a golden turtle ornament from Lee Bae-yong, former head of the National Education Commission, in exchange for an appointment in April 2022; a Dior bag worth 5.4 million won from a pastor the same year; and a Vacheron Constantin watch from another businessperson in September 2022.
In February 2023, she allegedly received a painting by renowned artist Lee Ufan from a former prosecutor in return for aiding in securing him a nomination for an election. These exchanges predominantly occurred during her husband's tenure in office from May 2022 until his removal in April 2025.
The judge highlighted Kim's attempts to evade responsibility by returning some gifts once the investigation commenced or claiming she had bought them herself. "This shows that she was fully aware of the illegality of her actions but tried to conceal it," the judge noted.
Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team, which had sought a 7 1/2-year prison term, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. Kim's legal representatives have announced plans to appeal the decision.
The court also sentenced the construction company chairman to a one-year prison term, suspended for two years, the businessperson who gifted the watch to a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years, and fined the pastor 8 million won.
Kim has already been sentenced by an appeals court to four years in prison in a separate corruption case. She is also due to stand trial for her alleged involvement in coercing members of the Unification Church to join the now main opposition People Power Party ahead of the 2022 presidential election, aiming to influence the outcome of the party primary, which her husband Yoon won.