Seoul: The wife of South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of corruption.
Kim Keon Hee was convicted by the Seoul Central District Court for accepting luxury gifts, including a diamond necklace and a designer handbag, in exchange for promises of business favours linked to the Unification Church. The court said Kim had misused her position as first lady for personal gain, noting that the spouse of a sitting president holds symbolic power and can wield real influence.
The ruling comes as Yoon faces trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024, a move that triggered mass protests, his impeachment, and eventual removal from office.
Prosecutors have charged him with rebellion, an offence that carries the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Investigators have said Kim played no role in the martial law decision.
While prosecutors had sought a far stiffer sentence, including a lengthy jail term on multiple charges, the court cleared Kim of accusations related to stock price manipulation and violations of political funding laws, citing insufficient evidence. Even so, the verdict marked a significant moment in a case that has gripped South Korea for months.
Prosecutors said they would appeal, arguing the sentence was too lenient. The governing Democratic Party, which led Yoon’s ouster, criticised the ruling, warning it risked normalising the abuse of power by those close to the presidency. Kim’s legal team, meanwhile, said the sentence was excessive and claimed the investigation had been politically motivated, adding that an appeal was under consideration.
Kim has been in custody since August after a court approved her arrest over concerns she could tamper with evidence. Days before her detention, she issued a public apology for causing unease but suggested she would contest the charges, portraying herself as a minor figure caught in political crossfire.
The case against Kim is unfolding just weeks before the court is due to deliver its verdict on Yoon’s rebellion charge. Prosecutors in that case have demanded the harshest possible punishment. During Yoon’s presidency, Kim was at the centre of repeated scandals that eroded public trust and badly damaged his approval ratings.
Some critics had speculated that Yoon’s decision to declare martial law was driven by a desire to shield his wife from investigation. However, investigators concluded after a lengthy probe that Yoon had planned the move for more than a year to consolidate power and silence political opponents, and found no evidence linking Kim to the decision.
