Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee has been sentenced to seven years in prison after a Seoul court found her guilty of accepting luxury gifts in exchange for political and business favours, marking another dramatic chapter in the country's sweeping anti-corruption crackdown.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Kim, the wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, abused her position by receiving expensive gifts, including a Dior handbag, luxury jewellery, a Vacheron Constantin watch and artwork, from individuals seeking government appointments and business advantages.
The court also imposed a fine of Sh64.8 million Won and ordered that the illicit gifts be confiscated where possible.
Delivering the ruling, Presiding Judge Cho Sun-pyo said, "The defendant disregarded the social responsibilities associated with the position of first lady and used it merely as a means to pursue her private interests."
The judge further noted that Kim's attempts to return some of the gifts after investigations had begun showed she was aware that her actions were illegal.
According to prosecutors, Kim accepted gifts worth approximately 300 million Won in return for facilitating appointments and other favours.
The court convicted her on all counts after rejecting her defence that some of the items were either not received or were unrelated to any requests.
The ruling further deepens the downfall of the country's former first family, as per Aljazeera her husband Yoon is also in prison, serving a life sentence for sending military drones into North Korea, which prosecutors said was aimed at creating a pretext for his declaration of martial law in December 2024, and leading an insurrection.
Kim's lawyers have vowed to appeal the verdict, insisting the court wrongly interpreted the evidence. The sentence comes only months after she received a separate four-year prison sentence in another corruption case involving stock manipulation and bribery allegations.