A South Korean court has sentenced Kim Keon-hee, the country’s former first lady, to one year and eight months in prison after finding her guilty of corruption.
According to reports from Seoul on January 28, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Kim, 53, accepted bribes worth 377.25 million won, including luxury handbags, expensive jewelry, and artworks by well-known artists. The court also ordered the confiscation of 12.8 million won in assets.
However, the court cleared Kim of other charges, including allegations of stock price manipulation involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer, and claims that she interfered in candidate selection for parliamentary elections during her husband Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidency.
Kim has been in detention since August 2025 and has continued to deny all charges. Prosecutors had previously sought a 15-year prison sentence and a heavy fine, but it remains unclear whether they will appeal the ruling.
