Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Imprisoned Ahead of Corruption Ruling

Kim Keon Hee, South Korea’s former first lady, has become the country’s first former first lady to be imprisoned as a Seoul court prepared to rule on corruption charges against her.

Ms. Kim, 53, rose to high public prominence during her husband’s presidency, championing causes such as a ban on dog meat and cultivating a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis–style image, while drawing criticism for overstepping traditional roles. She was arrested in August and has been indicted on criminal charges that prosecutors say include accepting expensive gifts in return for favors; investigators have cited items such as a $2,200 Dior pouch, luxury handbags, diamond necklaces, a gold turtle figurine, costly watches and a painting.

Her legal troubles unfolded alongside the downfall of her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose late-2024 attempt to declare martial law collapsed; he was expelled from office, arrested on insurrection charges and was sentenced earlier this month to five years in prison in a case related to the decree, with a ruling in his insurrection case expected next month. Prosecutors said Ms. Kim was not accused of involvement in the decree and that she appeared unaware of the martial law plans; her lawyers vowed to protect her from what they called "exaggerations and political framing," and her lawyer said she wondered whether she would ever live with Mr. Yoon again.