Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee sentenced to 20 months in prison for accepting bribes
Published: 28 Jan. 2026, 18:31
Updated: 28 Jan. 2026, 21:01
![Former first lady Kim Keon Hee, second from right, receives a verdict during a first-instance sentencing hearing on charges of bribery, stock price manipulation and political interference at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 28 in this footage streamed live by the court. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/28/88f683da-ab3e-4199-b940-4aed28fcb2ec.jpg)
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee, second from right, receives a verdict during a first-instance sentencing hearing on charges of bribery, stock price manipulation and political interference at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 28 in this footage streamed live by the court. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
A lower court on Wednesday sentenced Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, to 20 months in prison for accepting bribes from the Unification Church but acquitted her of separate charges on stock price manipulation and illegal political funding.
The Seoul Central District Court also ordered Kim to forfeit 12.8 million won ($9,000).
The ruling — the first of three verdicts that Kim faces — marks the country's first criminal conviction of a former first lady involving corruption allegations.
Wednesday's conviction covered one of three major allegations brought by a special counsel team led by prosecutor Min Joong-ki, which had sought a combined sentence of 15 years in prison, a 2 billion won fine and forfeiture of 948.6 million won.
After the ruling, Min’s team said that it would appeal the verdict.
![Former first lady Kim Keon Hee attends her corruption trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 24, 2025 [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/28/731c9ffa-2e44-493a-b25c-9ae9e42d7f65.jpg)
Former first lady Kim Keon Hee attends her corruption trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 24, 2025 [YONHAP]
According to presiding Judge Woo In-sung, the court reached its verdict solely on evidence.
“Whether someone holds power or has lost it, [their sentencing] must not be affected by exceptions,” he said, citing constitutional principles such as the presumption of innocence and the rule that doubt should favor the defendant.
In explaining the sentence, the court said Kim failed to meet the high ethical standards expected of a president's spouse.
“As the first lady, [she] held a position of significant influence,” the judge said. “Rather than setting an example, she became a lesson for the public.”
The court added that Kim abused her position for personal gain by accepting luxury items, including a Chanel handbag and a Graff necklace, from the Unification Church.
“She misused her privilege to pursue profit,” the judge said. “She did not turn away expensive luxury goods tied to requests from the Unification Church.”
However, the court acknowledged that Kim did not directly solicit the items and expressed remorse.
![People watch a news broadcast on former first lady's Kim Keon Hee's trial at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Jan. 28. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/28/c5199f32-d4d3-4c3e-ae0e-0c4e1c8ff94f.jpg)
People watch a news broadcast on former first lady's Kim Keon Hee's trial at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Jan. 28. [YONHAP]
The court acquitted Kim of violating the capital markets act. Prosecutors had claimed that she acted as a financial backer in a plan involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in Korea, to manipulate stock prices, through which she gained about 810 million won.
The Supreme Court upheld suspended prison sentences last April for former Deutsch Motors Chairman Kwon Oh-soo and others over the scheme. However, the court said that prosecutors failed to prove that Kim conspired with those individuals.
The court said, “There is room to view that she, at least implicitly, accepted that her funds or accounts could be used for market manipulation,” adding, “Even if she had some awareness [...] a conspiracy requires a convergence of intent among co-defendants.”
![Myung Tae-kyun, a political broker accused of being involved in an election meddling scheme, arrives at a special counsel team's office in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 31, 2025, to be questioned as a suspect on bribery charges. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/28/c966006a-d6ec-4b19-82c3-4ddc4a998aa5.jpg)
Myung Tae-kyun, a political broker accused of being involved in an election meddling scheme, arrives at a special counsel team's office in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 31, 2025, to be questioned as a suspect on bribery charges. [YONHAP]
Kim was also cleared of allegedly violating political finance laws by receiving free opinion polls from self-proclaimed political power broker Myung Tae-kyun during the 2022 presidential election, which her husband won.
The court accepted that the surveys were provided by Myung without charge but said prosecutors failed to prove criminal intent. It found that Myung conducted the polls as part of his regular business activities and distributed them to multiple recipients.
“It is difficult to conclude that a nomination for former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun was promised in exchange for the surveys,” the court said.
Prosecutors objected to the court’s decision in a statement following the ruling, as “the court’s judgment relies on logic that is hard to understand not only in legal terms but also from a commonsense perspective.” They also criticized the sentence for the guilty charge as too lenient, given the circumstances, and said they would appeal.
Wednesday’s ruling has implications for a separate political finance case against former President Yoon, whom prosecutors allege conspired with the former first lady on the matter. At a preparatory hearing on Tuesday, the court said it would review Kim’s verdict. Yoon’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 17.
Kim still faces two additional trials, including allegations that members of the Unification Church joined the conservative People Power Party en masse to influence a party leadership election and separate graft-related charges. Those cases are currently being heard by the Seoul Central District Court.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM BO-REUM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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