South Korea's ex-first lady jailed for 20 months for corruption / Photo: Jung Yeon-je - AFP
South Korea's ex-first lady jailed for 20 months for corruption
A South Korean judge handed the country's former first lady Kim Keon Hee 20 months in jail for corruption on Wednesday but acquitted her for alleged stock manipulation and other charges.
Controversy has long surrounded 53-year-old Kim and accusations of corruption, influence peddling and even academic fraud dominated her husband Yoon Suk Yeol's time in office.
Both are now in custody -- Yoon for actions taken during his disastrous declaration of martial law in December 2024 and its chaotic aftermath, and Kim for alleged stock manipulation and receiving gifts from the cult-like Unification Church.
She was also accused of accepting lavish bribes from businesses and politicians totalling more than $200,000 -- including two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace from the leader of that sect.
On Wednesday, Judge Woo In-sung of the Seoul Central District Court found her guilty of corruption and sentenced her to 20 months in prison.
She was however found not guilty of stock manipulation and violations of South Korea's campaign financing laws.
Kim sat in the court as the sentence was read out, wearing a black suit, a white face mask and glasses.
Prosecutors in December said Kim had "stood above the law" and colluded with the Unification Church to undermine "the constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state".
Prosecutor Min Joong-ki also said South Korea's institutions were "severely undermined by abuses of power" committed by Kim.
She has also been accused of meddling in parliamentary elections.
The former first lady has denied all the charges, claiming the allegations were "deeply unjust" in her final testimony last month.
But she has also apologised for "causing trouble despite being a person of no importance".
"When I consider my role and the responsibilities entrusted to me, it seems clear that I have made many mistakes," she said in December.
- Dogged by scandal -
A self-professed animal lover known internationally for her work campaigning for South Korea to ban dog meat, Kim's scandals frequently overshadowed her husband's domestic political agenda.
In 2023, hidden camera footage appeared to show Kim accepting a $2,200 luxury handbag in what was later dubbed the "Dior bag scandal", further dragging down Yoon's already dismal approval ratings.
The scandal contributed to a stinging defeat for Yoon's party in general elections in April 2024, as it failed to win back a parliamentary majority.
Yoon vetoed three opposition-backed bills to investigate allegations against Kim, including the Dior bag case, with the last veto in November 2024.
A week later, he declared martial law.
Kim's court appearance came days after former prime minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison -- eight years longer than prosecutors demanded -- for aiding and abetting Yoon's suspension of civilian rule.
The probe into Kim also led to the arrest of Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, which claims 10 million followers worldwide and runs a vast business empire.
A Seoul court will additionally sentence top lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, also accused of taking bribes from the sect, on Wednesday.
I.Servais--JdB
