Politics

A court in South Korea sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee to one year and eight months in prison on Wednesday. She was found guilty of taking bribes from officials of the Unification Church in exchange for political favors. Kim, who is married to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office last year, was acquitted of charges related to manipulating stock prices and breaching political funding laws. This ruling can be appealed by either Kim or the prosecutors and comes during a series of trials linked to Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration in 2024 and various scandals involving the couple. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison sentence and fines of 2.9 billion won (around $2 million) for accusations that included receiving luxury Chanel bags and a diamond necklace from the Unification Church for political favors. The court determined there was not enough evidence to find Kim guilty of stock price manipulation or violating political funding laws related to receiving opinion polls from a powerful figure in exchange for influencing candidate selections. Kim has denied all allegations against her. Her legal team stated they will review the verdict and consider an appeal regarding the bribery conviction. Dressed in a dark suit and wearing a face mask, Kim entered the Seoul Central District Court quietly as the chief judge presented the verdict. The Unification Church claimed that the gifts were given without any expectations. Han Hak-ja, the church’s leader, who is also facing trial, denied instructing anyone to bribe Kim. Former President Yoon, who was ousted in April, is currently involved in eight separate trials, facing charges that include insurrection following his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.