Kim Keon Hee, wife of South Korea’s ousted president, jailed for 20 months
Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after a court found she received luxury gifts in return for promises of political favours, the court said. The court said Kim received items including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church in return for promises of political favours, and that "being closest to a president, a first lady can exert significant influence on him and is a symbolic figure who represents the country together with a president" but "the defendant exploited her position to seek personal gains," in a televised verdict.
Kim said via her lawyers she would "humbly accept" the court's view and "apologises again to everyone for causing concerns." The court acquitted her of two other charges; independent counsel Min Joong-ki had sought a 15-year term on three charges, including stock price manipulation, political funding law violations and accepting bribes, and Min’s team said it would appeal to a higher court.
Kim has been in jail since August after a Seoul court approved an arrest warrant citing the risk she might destroy evidence. The presidential couple have been jailed separately for months after Yoon’s imposition of martial law in December 2024 led to his impeachment and removal; Yoon was handed a five-year prison term this month for defying authorities and other charges related to the martial law decree.
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