Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Seoul High Court on Tuesday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to four years in prison, dramatically increasing her original sentence after finding her guilty of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and accepting luxury gifts from a controversial religious group. The televised verdict, delivered on April 28, 2026, more than doubled the 20-month sentence handed down by a lower court in January, marking a significant legal setback for the wife of imprisoned former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The court also imposed a fine of 50 million won (approximately $34,000), ordered the confiscation of a Graff diamond necklace, and mandated a forfeiture of around 20 million won.
The ruling represented a complete reversal of the lower court's decision on several key charges. While the district court had acquitted Kim of stock manipulation, the appeals court determined she was partially guilty of involvement in a scheme to manipulate the share price of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea. According to prosecutors, Kim provided a brokerage account holding 2 billion won (approximately $1.4 million) to an investment advisory firm and sold 180,000 shares of the company, netting 810 million won ($549,000) in illegal profits between 2010 and 2012. The court also overturned the lower court's ruling that she was only partially guilty of bribery. The appeals court convicted her of accepting luxury gifts, including two Chanel bags and the diamond necklace, from a former official of the Unification Church in exchange for promises of political favors, violating the Act on the Acceptance of Bribes for Mediation as well as the Political Funds Act.
The court's decision to televise the hearing placed the former first lady's demeanor under public scrutiny. According to multiple reports, Kim appeared in court wearing a white shirt, black suit, and a surgical mask, with her prison identification number pinned to her chest. She remained with her head bowed for most of the proceedings, frowning and displaying visible displeasure when the sentence was read. The prosecutors had initially called for a 15-year sentence, arguing that her actions caused lasting damage to public trust in governance.
The court was highly critical of Kim's conduct, stating that she "failed to show remorse and repeatedly made excuses." The lead judge emphasized her unique position as a national symbol. "Kim exerted her influence as first lady and committed the bribery," the judge said. "She damaged public trust in government transparency and caused a rift in public opinion over national affairs. The president's spouse, as a symbolic national figure, is required to maintain high ethical standards, but the defendant accepted valuable items, betraying the public's trust."
Presiding judge Park Sung-won, who delivered the verdict, highlighted the gravity of the offenses. "The act of the president's spouse receiving bribes is an offense that undermines the fairness and transparency of national policies and the integrity of the government," the judge stated. "Such behavior in the political world spreads nihilism and is an act that severely damages the system." The court also noted that Kim had a prior clean criminal record, a factor taken into account when determining the four-year sentence rather than a longer term.
Kim has indicated her intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. Her legal team argued that the verdict was based on an overly broad interpretation of the facts, and they maintain her innocence. The special counsel's office, which had aggressively pursued the case, stated it would review the written judgment before deciding whether to file its own appeal.
The sentencing is the latest chapter in the dramatic fall from grace of the former first couple. Kim has been detained since August 2025 and is reportedly being held in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center. Her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is serving a life sentence after being convicted in February 2026 on charges of leading an insurrection related to his controversial declaration of martial law in December 2024. The former president was impeached and removed from office within weeks of that declaration. While in office, Yoon had repeatedly wielded his presidential veto power to block independent investigations into his wife's alleged misconduct.
The case has captivated the South Korean public, with a small group of supporters gathering outside the court to express their loyalty to the imprisoned former leader. They waved flags and displayed signs reading "Yoon, again" and "Reset Korea." For the many others following the case, the verdict represents a moment of legal reckoning for the powerful. Both the prosecution and the defense now have a week to appeal the decision, but the television broadcast of Kim's day of judgment has already cemented a defining image of the scandal: a former first lady, in prison garb, watching her sentence double before a nation's eyes.
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