A South Korean court has sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, to seven years in prison after finding her guilty of accepting luxury gifts in exchange for political and business favors. The court also ordered the confiscation of the valuable items she received.
In its ruling delivered on Friday, the Seoul Central District Court said Kim had accepted expensive gifts from business figures and influential individuals in return for providing political or commercial advantages. The court found that her actions constituted a serious breach of public ethics.
Announcing the verdict, Judge Cho Sun-pyo said that a president’s spouse is expected to exercise the highest standards of integrity and restraint. Instead, Kim repeatedly exploited her position of influence to accept valuable gifts, conduct the court said was incompatible with the responsibilities of a first lady.
Among the confiscated items are a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond necklace, a Tiffany & Co. brooch, a Dior luxury handbag, a golden turtle sculpture case, and a painting by renowned Korean artist Lee Ufan.
Appearing in court wearing a gray suit and a white face mask, Kim admitted receiving the gifts but denied that they were linked to any political or administrative favors. She has faced multiple criminal proceedings since her arrest in August last year.
Following the verdict, Kim’s legal team argued that the court had relied on an overly broad interpretation of the evidence and announced plans to appeal the decision before a higher court.
Earlier, in a separate case, an appellate court sentenced Kim to four years in prison for accepting gifts from the Unification Church and profiting from alleged stock market manipulation.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office through impeachment in April 2025 over his declaration of martial law. He is currently facing several criminal charges, including allegations of insurrection, abuse of emergency powers, and actions related to escalating tensions with North Korea.
After taking office, President Lee Jae-myung appointed a special prosecutor to investigate allegations involving the previous administration and the former first lady. According to the court, investigators established that Kim had accepted a diamond necklace and other luxury gifts worth approximately 1.38 billion won from Lee Bong-kwan, chairman of Seohi Construction, in 2022.
The court also found Kim guilty on several additional counts involving the acceptance of luxury watches, artworks, a golden turtle sculpture, and other high-value gifts in exchange for assistance with public appointments, development projects, and other administrative favors.
Source: The Washington Post