Court sentences Kim Keon-hee to 1 year 8 months in bribery case

Jan 29, 2026, 10:07 am

Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former president Yoon Suk-yeol, was sentenced in a first trial on Tuesday to one year and eight months in prison, becoming part of the first former presidential couple to receive prison terms simultaneously.

The court found her guilty only of receiving valuables linked to lobbying requests from the Unification Church. She was acquitted of allegations related to stock price manipulation involving Deutsch Motors and the so-called “Myeong Tae-gyun gate” scandal. The sentence fell far short of the 15-year prison term sought by the special prosecutor.

Her legal team argued that the case showed “what happens when political power interferes with investigations,” adding that the special prosecutor should promptly drop appeals on the charges that resulted in acquittals.

The special prosecutor, however, said the ruling was “difficult to accept both legally and in terms of common sense,” and announced plans to appeal.

The 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Woo In-sung, convicted Kim of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The court sentenced her to one year and eight months in prison and ordered forfeiture of 12.81 million won.

At a sentencing hearing last month, the special prosecutor had requested 15 years in prison, a fine of 2 billion won, and forfeiture of about 948 million won.

The court said it found her guilty only of receiving expensive items from the Unification Church in connection with requests related to church affairs.

“First ladies are symbolic figures who represent the nation alongside the president and are expected to uphold high standards of integrity,” the court said. “They should lead by example, not become a negative role model for the public.”

At the same time, the court noted mitigating factors, saying Kim did not solicit the gifts first and later expressed remorse over her “lack of prudence” in accepting items such as a luxury bag. The court also cited her lack of prior criminal records in determining the sentence.

#Kim Keon-hee #Unification Church #bribery #sentencing #Seoul Central District Court