South Korean court jails former first lady for seven years in bribery case

Kim Keon Hee was sentenced for taking bribes that included luxury items in return for political favours.

South Korea’s former First Lady, Kim Keon Hee, has been handed a seven-year sentence for taking bribes during and after her husband President Yoon Suk Yeol’s time in office.

Kim was found guilty of accepting jewellery, an expensive designer handbag and other luxury items in exchange for political favours by the Seoul Central District Court on Friday.

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“She exercised her power as first lady to offer jobs and business favours,” lead judge Cho Sun-pyo said, adding that she received the bribes “without hesitation”.

Kim was fined 64.8 million won ($42,000) and the court ordered the confiscation of the items she received.

She denied the charges, saying the gifts weren’t bribes and her lawyers said she will appeal.

The court found that she received jewellery worth over 100 million won ($64,750) from the owner of a construction company in exchange for giving his son-in-law a government job. A pastor also gave her a Dior bag and other gifts for favours relating to public officials’ duties, the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper reported.

To support his bid for office, a former prosecutor gave her a painting by renowned artist Lee Ufan and the former head of the National Education Commission gave her a golden turtle ornament in exchange for being appointed to the position, the court found.

Previous prison sentences

The former first lady is already in jail after being sentenced in April to four years for stock manipulation and taking bribes from South Korea’s Unification Church.

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.

He was ousted from office in 2025 after being impeached.

As president, he vetoed three opposition-backed bills to investigate allegations against Kim, after a video emerged appearing to show her accepting a luxury handbag in 2023.