Kim Keon Hee’s husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, is probably dealing with the dying penalty over his function in declaring martial regulation in 2024 whereas president.
Revealed On 28 Jan 2026
A South Korean court docket has sentenced former First Girl Kim Keon Hee to 1 12 months and eight months in jail after discovering her responsible of accepting bribes from the Unification Church, in accordance with South Korea’s official Yonhap information company.
The Seoul Central District Court docket on Wednesday cleared Kim, the spouse of disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, of further fees of inventory worth manipulation and violating the political funds act.
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Kim was accused of receiving bribes and lavish items from companies and politicians, in addition to the Unification Church, totalling a minimum of $200,000.
The prosecution crew had additionally indicted Unification Church chief Han Hak-ja, now on trial, after the non secular group was suspected of giving Kim valuables, together with two Chanel purses and a diamond necklace, as half of its efforts to win affect with the president’s spouse.
Prosecutors in December stated Kim had “stood above the regulation” and colluded with the non secular sect to undermine “the constitutionally mandated separation of faith and state”.
Prosecutor Min Joong-ki additionally stated South Korea’s establishments had been “severely undermined by abuses of energy” dedicated by Kim.
The previous first woman had denied all the fees, claiming the allegations towards her had been “deeply unjust” in her ultimate testimony final month.
However she has additionally apologised for “inflicting bother regardless of being an individual of no significance”.
“After I take into account my function and the duties entrusted to me, it appears clear that I’ve made many errors,” she stated in December.
Kim’s husband, the nation’s former President Yoon, was ousted from workplace final 12 months and has been sentenced to five years in prison for actions associated to his quick and disastrous declaration of martial regulation in December 2024.
Yoon may nonetheless be dealing with the death penalty in a separate case.
In 2023, hidden digicam footage appeared to point out Kim accepting a $2,200 luxurious purse in what was later dubbed the “Dior bag scandal”, additional dragging down then-President Yoon’s already dismal approval scores.
The scandal contributed to a stinging defeat for Yoon’s social gathering on the whole elections in April 2024, because it did not win again a parliamentary majority.
Yoon vetoed three opposition-backed payments to analyze allegations towards Kim, together with the Dior bag case, with the final veto in November 2024.
Every week later, he declared martial regulation.
Kim’s sentencing comes 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.
