A South Korean court sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to seven years in jail for accepting luxury gifts, including jewellery and a Dior handbag, in return for political and business favours.
Ms Kim is the wife of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, who is himself facing numerous court cases and prison sentences for his failed attempt to impose martial law in late 2024. She “exercised her power as first lady to offer jobs and business favours”, the Seoul Central District Court said. “Given the nature of the position, a president’s spouse must exercise the highest degree of self-restraint and vigilance.”
“Nevertheless,” it added, “defendant Kim Keon Hee neglected that social responsibility and repeatedly accepted valuables by exploiting her influence as a means of brokering favours.”
The court found Ms Kim received a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond necklace, a Tiffany brooch, a Dior handbag, a pair of Graff earrings, a storage case for a gold turtle figurine, and a painting by famous Korean artist Lee Ufan while her husband was president. She also received a Vacheron Constantin watch worth about £19,000.
The court ruled that the gifts must be confiscated if they could be located and fined Ms Kim a sum of about £32,000.
The former first lady willingly used the influence of her high office to help people obtain government or parliamentary posts, the court further said.
“She received without any hesitation those bribes which ordinary people would hardly encounter during their lives,” it noted, adding that her actions had hurt people’s trust in the fairness of public appointments.
One such bribe was given by the owner of a construction company who sought a government post for his son-in-law, another by a pastor looking to expand his reach with high-ranking officials, and a third by the chief executive of a robot-dog retailer who wanted to supply products to the presidential security team.
Ms Kim denied the charges and her lawyers said they would appeal the ruling before a higher court. They also accused the judge of exaggerating the evidence that was unfavourable to Ms Kim.
The former first lady is already in prison. She was sentenced to a four-year term in April on charges of stock manipulation and taking bribes from the controversial Unification Church.
She has been standing trial in multiple cases since her arrest in August last year.
Her husband has been sentenced to life in jail for imposing martial law on a made-up pretext in 2024.
