South Korea’s Ex-First Lady Jailed 20 Months For Corruption

A South Korean judge, on Wednesday, sentenced the country’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, to 20 months in prison for corruption over her acceptance of lavish gifts from a cult-like church, while acquitting her of alleged stock manipulation and other charges.

Kim, 53, has long been at the centre of controversy, with accusations of graft, influence peddling and academic fraud repeatedly overshadowing the presidency of her husband, former president Yoon Suk Yeol.

Both are now in custody – Yoon over actions linked to his disastrous declaration of martial law in December 2024, and Kim for corruption.

Delivering the verdict at the Seoul Central District Court, Judge Woo In-sung found Kim guilty of accepting bribes from the Unification Church, including a Chanel handbag and a Graff necklace, and sentenced her to 20-month imprisonment.

Prosecutors had sought a 15-year jail term, but the court acquitted Kim of stock manipulation and violations of campaign finance laws, handing down a significantly lighter sentence.

Woo said Kim’s close proximity to the president gave her “significant influence”, which she exploited for personal benefit.

“One’s position must never become a means of pursuing private gain,” the judge said.

Kim sat through the sentencing wearing a black suit, white face mask and glasses. She later issued a statement apologising for “the concern” she may have caused and said she accepted the court’s “stern criticism”.

Her lawyers told AFP that she had yet to decide whether to appeal. Prosecutors, however, described the ruling as “hard to accept” and said they would challenge it.

At a final hearing in December, prosecutors accused Kim of having “stood above the law” and colluded with the Unification Church to undermine “the constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”. Lead prosecutor Min Joong-ki said South Korea’s institutions had been “severely undermined by abuses of power” linked to Kim.

Kim had denied all charges, describing the allegations as “deeply unjust” in her final testimony last month.

She still faces two additional trials over alleged bribery and violations of the Political Parties Act, including claims she arranged the mass enrolment of more than 2,400 Unification Church followers into Yoon’s conservative People Power Party.

Known internationally as an animal welfare campaigner and advocate for banning dog meat in South Korea, Kim’s repeated scandals often eclipsed her husband’s domestic agenda.

In 2023, hidden-camera footage appeared to show her accepting a $2,200 luxury handbag in what became known as the “Dior bag scandal”, further denting Yoon’s already low approval ratings.

The controversy contributed to his party’s crushing defeat in the April 2024 general elections.

Yoon vetoed three opposition-backed bills seeking to investigate allegations against Kim, including the Dior bag case, with the final veto coming in November 2024, just a week before he declared martial law.

Kim’s sentencing comes days after former prime minister Han Duck-soo was jailed for 23 years for aiding Yoon’s suspension of civilian rule. Earlier this month, Yoon himself was sentenced to five years in prison for obstructing justice and related offences in the first of several trials tied to the declaration.

The investigation into Kim also led to the arrest of Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, which claims around 10 million followers worldwide and controls a vast business empire.

On Wednesday, the same court sentenced Yun Young-ho, a former Unification Church official, to 14 months in prison for offering luxury gifts to Kim and providing illegal political funds to a lawmaker. Opposition lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, an ally of Yoon, was also jailed for two years for receiving 100 million won ($70,000) from the sect.