In a landmark ruling that has rocked South Korea’s political landscape, a Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee to one year and eight months in prison for accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church in exchange for business favors. This decision marks the first time a former presidential couple in the nation has faced criminal incarceration.
The Seoul Central District Court found Kim guilty of receiving high-value items, including a snail-patterned bag and a luxury Graf necklace from a Unification Church official in July 2022. The court criticized her for failing to decline these extravagant gifts amid the church’s public fundraising appeals, accusing her of prioritizing personal fashion over ethical responsibility. However, another bag received in April 2022 was not deemed a bribe due to lack of specific solicitation.
Prosecutors from the special counsel team, led by Min Jeong-ki, had demanded a staggering 15-year sentence, highlighting the severity of the allegations. The court also imposed a fine of 12.8 million won (approximately $9,000) but acquitted Kim on more serious charges of stock price manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, a BMW dealer, and violations of the Political Funds Act.
Kim, wife of impeached ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been in custody since August last year and denies all wrongdoing. Yoon himself is serving a five-year term for rebellion charges linked to his failed 2024 martial law bid, with additional probes ongoing. The couple’s downfall underscores deepening corruption scandals plaguing South Korea’s elite.
Post-verdict, prosecutors vowed to appeal, calling the sentence unduly lenient, while Kim’s legal team decried it as excessive for the gift-related charges and weighs its options. This case exposes the shadowy intersections of politics, religion, and business in one of Asia’s most dynamic democracies, leaving the public questioning the integrity of its leadership.