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Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee's appeal trial for stock manipulation begins March 11

Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 18:04

First lady Kim Keon Hee appears at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2025, for a sentencing hearing. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s appeal trial will begin on March 11, following her partial conviction in a case involving stock manipulation allegations and bribery linked to the Unification Church.

The Seoul High Court will hold the first preparatory hearing for Kim’s appeal at 2 p.m. that day on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act, legal sources said Wednesday.

A preparatory hearing is held before a full trial to confirm the positions of both sides and discuss plans for presenting evidence. Unlike formal trial hearings, the defendant is not required to attend.

On Jan. 28, the Seoul Central District Court acquitted Kim of charges related to stock price manipulation of Deutsche Motors and the alleged receipt of free opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun. The court found her partially guilty only on charges of accepting money in connection with requests from the Unification Church, sentencing her to one year and eight months in prison.

The sentence amounted to roughly 10 percent of the 15-year prison term sought by the special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki.

The special counsel appealed the ruling, arguing that the acquittals were erroneous and that the sentence on the bribery conviction was too lenient. In its appeal, the team reiterated that Kim should be regarded as a coprincipal offender, claiming she not only provided funds for the alleged stock manipulation but also participated in executing sell orders.

An appellate trial for former Unification Church official Yun Young-ho, who was sentenced in the first trial to one year and two months in prison for allegedly providing money to Kim and People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in exchange for favors related to church affairs, will also begin the same day.

The Seoul High Court will hold Yun’s first appeal hearing at 4 p.m. on March 11 on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

Meanwhile, the appeal of Rep. Kweon, who was sentenced to two years in prison in the first trial for allegedly receiving 100 million won ($70,000) in illegal political funds from Yun, is scheduled for its first hearing on Thursday.

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 CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]