South Korea’s former first lady sentenced to jail term in bribery case

Kim Keon Hee’s husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, is potentially facing the death penalty over his role in declaring martial law in 2024 while president.Published On 28 Jan 2026A South Korean court has sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee to one year and eight months in prison after finding her guilty of accepting bribes from the Unification Church, according to South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency.The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday cleared Kim, the wife of disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, of additional charges of stock price manipulation and violating the political funds act.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4South Korea prosecutors seek death penalty for ex-President Yoonlist 2 of 4South Korea’s former President Yoon sentenced to five years: What we knowlist 3 of 4Japan’s PM Takaichi will dissolve parliament, call snap electionlist 4 of 4S Korea’s former PM found guilty of insurrection, given 23 years in prisonend of listKim was accused of receiving bribes and lavish gifts from businesses and politicians, as well as the Unification Church, totalling at least $200,000.The prosecution team had also indicted Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, now on ‌trial, after the religious group was suspected of giving Kim valuables, including two Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace, as part ‌of its efforts to win influence with the president’s wife.Prosecutors in December said Kim had “stood above the law” and colluded with the religious sect to undermine “the constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”.South Korean former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, centre, arrives at the Special Prosecutor’s Office in August 2025 in Seoul, South Korea [File: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]Prosecutor Min Joong-ki also said South Korea’s institutions were “severely undermined by abuses of power” committed by Kim.The former first lady had denied all the charges, claiming the allegations against her were “deeply unjust” in her final testimony last month.But she has also apologised for “causing trouble despite being a person of no importance”.