A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee to seven years in prison after finding her guilty of accepting luxury gifts from people seeking political influence and senior government appointments.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Kim abused her position as the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol by accepting expensive gifts from businesspeople and other influential figures in return for helping them gain political or commercial advantages.
According to the court, the gifts included a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a Tiffany brooch, Graff rings, a Dior handbag, a Vacheron Constantin watch, gold jewelry and an artwork by renowned Korean artist Lee Ufan. The court also ordered the confiscation of the luxury items where possible and imposed an additional financial penalty. The total value of the gifts amounted to tens of millions of won.
Judges said Kim repeatedly used her position to influence appointments to government posts and facilitate favors for those who presented her with valuable gifts. In its ruling, the court described the case as one in which public office had effectively become “an object of transaction” for private gain, adding that her actions seriously damaged public confidence in government institutions.
The court stressed that a president’s spouse is expected to exercise exceptional caution because the position naturally attracts requests from people seeking influence. Instead, it found that Kim continued accepting luxury items while using her status to benefit individuals connected to her.
Several people accused of providing the gifts also received criminal penalties. Some were handed suspended prison sentences, while others were fined for violating South Korea’s anti-graft laws.
Kim denied all wrongdoing throughout the trial. Her legal team argued that many of the gifts were exchanged through personal relationships or were not connected to any official requests. Shortly after the verdict, her lawyers announced plans to appeal, saying the court had interpreted both the gifts and the alleged political requests too broadly.
The latest conviction comes as Kim is already facing other legal troubles. Earlier this year, she received a separate prison sentence linked to stock manipulation and bribery allegations, a ruling that is also under appeal.
Her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has likewise faced a dramatic legal downfall since leaving office. After being removed from the presidency following the political turmoil surrounding his 2024 martial law declaration, Yoon has been convicted in multiple criminal cases and is currently serving lengthy prison sentences while pursuing appeals.
The convictions of both Yoon and Kim have become one of the most significant political scandals in modern South Korean history, underscoring the country’s long-standing tradition of prosecuting former presidents and senior public officials accused of corruption.
Kim remains free to challenge Friday’s ruling through the appeals process, meaning the sentence is not yet final.
