Kim Keon Hee was also ordered to return a diamond necklace and pay back 12.85 million won
The wife of South Korea’s ousted former president has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after a court found her guilty of accepting bribes, including a diamond necklace and luxury handbags, from the controversial Unification Church.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Judge Woo In-sung of the Seoul Central District Court said Kim Keon Hee, 52, had abused her position as first lady for personal gain.
“The higher one’s position, the more consciously one must guard against such conduct,” the judge said, adding that Kim failed to reject improper solicitations and instead accepted gifts tied to influence-seeking.
Prosecutors said Kim received 80 million won worth of gifts, including a Graff diamond necklace and several Chanel handbags, from the Unification Church between April and July 2022, in exchange for political and business favours.
While the court convicted Kim on the bribery charge, it cleared her of allegations of stock price manipulation and receiving free opinion polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election, which her husband Yoon Suk Yeol won.
The court noted that Kim did not directly solicit the bribes and had no significant criminal record. However, it ordered her to repay 12.85 million won in cash and ruled that the diamond necklace be confiscated.
Prosecutors had sought a 15-year jail term and a fine of 2 billion won for all charges brought against her in the case.
Kim’s conviction comes after her husband, former president Yoon Suk Yeol, was sentenced to five years in prison for abusing power and obstructing justice over his failed martial law bid in 2024. The case marks the first time in South Korea’s history that a former presidential couple have been convicted simultaneously.
Kim has denied wrongdoing, describing the charges as “deeply unjust,” though she admitted receiving Chanel handbags, which she said were later returned unused. She publicly apologised during questioning last year, saying she regretted causing public concern.
Further cases against Kim are still pending, including allegations of helping recruit Unification Church members into the ruling party and accepting gifts linked to government job appointments.
Investigations connected to the case also led to the arrest of Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja. Separately, Kim has faced academic controversy after Sookmyung Women’s University annulled her master’s degree last year over plagiarism findings.
