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South Korea’s former First Lady, Kim Keon Hee, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for receiving bribes after the court found her guilty of accepting luxury items, including jewellery and a Dior handbag, in exchange for political favours.
The wife of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted in 2025 following his failed attempt to impose martial law, received the bribes before and during his presidency, the lead judge at the Seoul Central District Court said.
“She exercised her power as first lady to offer jobs and business favours. She received without any hesitation those bribes, which ordinary people would hardly encounter during their lives,” the judge said, citing her willingness to use her influence to help people obtain key government or parliamentary posts.
The list of bribes included jewellery such as a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a Tiffany brooch and a pair of Graff earrings, the judge said.
Also, Kim received a gold turtle, a Dior handbag, a Vacheron Constantin watch worth 39 million won ($25,349.86), and a painting worth 140 million won, he added.
The judge stated that the actions of the former first lady seriously hurt public trust in the fairness of public appointments.
He went further to mention those who gave her bribes, which included a construction company owner who sought a government post for his son-in-law, a pastor seeking to expand his network with high-ranking officials, the former head of a private university and the chief executive of a robotic dog retailer who wanted to supply products to the presidential security team.
The court fined Kim 64.8 million won and ordered the confiscation of items given as bribes if they could be located.
However, the Yonhap News Agency reported that Kim denied all the charges and her lawyer told reporters she would appeal the ruling, accusing the judge of exaggerating evidence unfavourable to her.
The former first lady is currently in jail after being found guilty on charges of stock manipulation and receiving bribes from South Korea’s Unification Church. Earlier, she was sentenced to four years in jail for these charges in April.
Kim’s husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, was also sentenced to life in prison in February for leading an attempted uprising after he briefly declared martial law in 2024.
