South Korean First Lady Kim Keun-hee sentenced to 7 years in prison for bribery

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced first lady Kim Keun-hee to seven years’ imprisonment in the first‑instance trial for bribery and abuse of influence. The court found that she received high‑value luxury items—including a Cliff & Aaple necklace, a gold‑turtle ornament, a Bashir Constantine wristwatch, and a painting by Lee Woo‑hwan—worth roughly 300 million won, in exchange for political and business favors. The judgment ordered seizure of the items and a fine of 64.8 million won. Co‑defendants, such as construction‑company chairman Lee Bong‑gwan and robot‑dog project entrepreneur Seo Seong‑bin, received assorted prison terms and suspended sentences. The court emphasized that the conduct severely damaged public trust in government and would have warranted a heavier penalty if the defendant had been a civil servant.