South Korea ex-first lady Kim Keon-hee gets 7-year bribery sentence

South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon‑hee was sentenced by the Seoul Central District Court to seven years in prison for accepting luxury gifts in exchange for political and business favours. The court said she used her influence to help people obtain government jobs and commercial advantages, noting, “She exercised her power as first lady to offer jobs and business favours,” and that she “received without any hesitation those bribes, which ordinary people would hardly encounter during their lives.” Items confiscated or seized include a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond necklace, a Tiffany brooch, a Dior handbag, a gold turtle figurine, a Vacheron Constantin watch and a painting by Lee Ufan. Kim was also fined 64.8 million won. She is already serving a four‑year term for a separate case involving stock‑price manipulation and gifts from the Unification Church. Her husband, former president Yoon Suk‑yeol, was removed from office in 2025 and later sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection linked to a brief martial‑law declaration. Kim’s lawyers said she will appeal the verdict.