Kim Keon Hee, wife of South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol, is convicted of corruption for accepting Chanel and Graff items from a church but cleared of stock manipulation.
SEOUL: A South Korean court has sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to 20 months in prison for accepting lavish bribes.
Judge Woo In-sung of the Seoul Central District Court found her guilty of corruption on Wednesday but acquitted her of stock manipulation and campaign finance violations.
The 53-year-old was convicted of accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church, including a Chanel bag and a Graff necklace.
Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison term for the charges.
Judge Woo said Kim’s proximity to the president gave her “significant influence” that she exploited.
“One’s position must never become a means of pursuing private gain,” he stated.
Kim sat in court wearing a black suit, a white face mask, and glasses as the sentence was read.
Her lawyer, Choi Ji-woo, thanked the court for conducting the trial independently.
Kim has denied all charges, calling them “deeply unjust” in her final testimony last month.
She also apologised for “causing trouble despite being a person of no importance”.
The former first lady faces two additional trials on bribery and Political Parties Act violations.
She is accused of arranging the mass enrollment of over 2,400 Unification Church followers into her husband’s conservative People Power Party.
Kim’s scandals frequently overshadowed her husband’s domestic agenda.
Hidden camera footage in 2023 showed her accepting a USD 2,200 luxury handbag in the “Dior bag scandal”.
The controversy contributed to a stinging defeat for Yoon’s party in the April 2024 general elections.
Yoon, now also in custody, vetoed three opposition-backed bills to investigate allegations against Kim.
Her sentencing follows former prime minister Han Duck-soo receiving 23 years for aiding Yoon’s suspension of civilian rule.
Yoon was sentenced to five years this month for obstructing justice in the first of several related trials.
The probe into Kim also led to the arrest of Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja.
Former church official Yun Young-ho was sentenced to 14 months on Wednesday for offering gifts to Kim.
Opposition lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon ally, was jailed for two years for receiving 100 million won from the sect.
