A Seoul court on Wednesday convicted South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee of corruption and sentenced her to 20 months in prison, while clearing her of accusations related to stock manipulation and other offences.
In recent years, during the presidency of her husband Yoon Suk Yeol, the 53-year-old has faced repeated allegations of corruption, influence peddling and academic fraud. Both are now behind bars, Yoon over his declaration of martial law in December 2024 and the turmoil that followed, and Kim over allegations related to financial wrongdoing and the acceptance of gifts from the Unification Church.
The prosecution had accused Kim of taking expensive bribes worth more than $200,000 from business figures and politicians. Allegedly, these also included two Chanel handbags and a Graff necklace, which were said to have been given by the leader of the Unification Church. She also faced charges of stock manipulation, violations of campaign finance laws and interference in parliamentary elections.
Judge Woo In-sung of the Seoul central district Court found Kim guilty on corruption charges and imposed a prison sentence of 20 months. At the same time, the court acquitted her of allegations of stock manipulation and breaches of election funding rules.
In earlier hearings, prosecutors argued that Kim had “stood above the law” and worked with the Unification Church in ways that eroded “the constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”. Prosecutor Min Joong-ki said the country’s institutions had been “severely undermined by abuses of power” attributed to the former first lady.
Kim has rejected all accusations against her. In her final testimony last month, she said the allegations were “deeply unjust”. At the same time, she offered an apology, saying she was sorry for “causing trouble despite being a person of no importance”.
“When I consider my role and the responsibilities entrusted to me, it seems clear that I have made many mistakes,” she said in December.
In 2023, secretly filmed footage appeared to show her accepting a $2,200 luxury handbag, an episode that became known as the “Dior bag scandal”.
The controversy further weakened Yoon’s approval ratings and contributed to his party’s defeat in the April 2024 general elections, where it failed to regain a parliamentary majority. Yoon later vetoed three opposition-backed bills seeking probes into allegations against Kim, including the Dior bag case, with his final veto issued in November 2024. One week later, he declared martial law.
Kim’s sentencing comes just days after former prime minister Han Duck-soo was handed a 23-year jail term — eight years longer than prosecutors had sought, for aiding and abetting Yoon’s suspension of civilian rule. The investigation into Kim also led to the arrest of Han Hak-ja, the head of the Unification Church, which claims a global following of 10 million people and controls an extensive business empire.
Meanwhile, a Seoul court is also expected to pass sentence on senior lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, who has been accused of accepting bribes from the same religious group.
