SEOUL — Kim Keon-hee, wife of ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 months in prison for corruption, as her husband awaits a verdict on a high-profile rebellion charge that could carry the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Seoul Central District Court found Kim guilty of receiving luxury gifts, including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag, from the Unification Church in exchange for promises of political favors. “Being closest to a president, a first lady can exert significant influence on him and is a symbolic figure who represents the country together with a president,” the court said in a televised verdict. “But the defendant exploited her position to seek personal gains.”
Through her lawyers, Kim said she would “humbly accept” the court’s view and “apologizes again to everyone for causing concerns.”
The sentencing marks a dramatic fall from grace for the presidential couple, who have been jailed separately for months following Yoon’s controversial martial law decree in December 2024. The decree led to Yoon’s impeachment and eventual removal from office. Yoon was handed a five-year prison term this month for defying authorities’ detention efforts and related charges. Investigators confirmed Kim was not involved in her husband’s martial law enforcement.
The 20-month prison term was a surprise to many after independent counsel Min Joong-ki sought a 15-year sentence on three charges, including stock price manipulation, political funding violations, and accepting bribes. The court acquitted Kim on two other charges due to insufficient evidence.
Min’s team said it cannot accept the ruling and plans to appeal to a higher court. The liberal Democratic Party, which led Yoon’s ouster, criticized the verdict as sending the wrong signal that “abuse of power like Kim Keon-hee’s can be tolerated.”
Kim’s lawyer, Choi Ji-woo, argued the investigation was politically motivated, describing the sentence as “relatively high” while thanking the court for the verdict. He said the defense team would consider whether to appeal. Kim has been in detention since August, after the Seoul court issued an arrest warrant citing a risk she might destroy evidence.
During Yoon’s presidency, Kim was embroiled in a series of scandals that damaged the conservative leader’s approval rating and provided ammunition to political rivals. Many observers speculated Yoon declared martial law to shield his wife from investigation. However, after a six-month probe into the decree, independent counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team found no evidence that Kim’s legal troubles influenced Yoon’s actions. The investigation concluded Yoon planned martial law to consolidate power and eliminate political opponents.
The ruling against Kim comes about three weeks before the court delivers a verdict on Yoon’s rebellion charge. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty, citing his martial law declaration as an act of rebellion. South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997, making life imprisonment or a lengthy sentence more likely.
Yoon’s martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, aimed to neutralize “anti-state forces” and “North Korea sympathizers,” according to him. Troops and police were deployed to encircle the National Assembly, but thousands of protesters gathered and lawmakers—including members of Yoon’s ruling party blocked the decree. Yoon was later impeached by the National Assembly, arrested by prosecutors, and formally removed from office following a Constitutional Court ruling.
