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Legal proceedings against Kim Keon-hee

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2026-10-27 11:52 UTC → 2026-10-27 11:57 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Former First Lady Kim Keon-hee faces a critical legal juncture as her current detention period approaches expiration. She is held on multiple charges, including stock manipulation, bribery involving the Unification Church, and the illegal receipt of opinion poll services. While an appellate court reduced her previous sentence to five years, a final Supreme Court ruling remains pending. To prevent her release, a special prosecution team has requested an additional arrest warrant from the Supreme Court related to a separate ‘selling of offices’ case involving allegations of bribery for political appointments. The Supreme Court scheduled a private hearing to determine whether to extend her detention. Kim participated in the hearing via video link from the Seoul Nambu Detention Center. While the prosecution seeks to maintain her detention, her defense has argued for her release, citing her current health status and the lack of risk regarding the destruction of evidence. On October 26, 2026, the Supreme Court’s second division issued an additional arrest warrant, extending Kim’s detention for two months. The court cited concerns regarding the potential for flight and the destruction of evidence. This new warrant specifically pertains to the ‘maegwan-maejik’ case involving allegations of bribery and mediation-related misconduct. Kim’s legal team has characterized the move as an improper use of a separate case to circumvent standard detention limits, while Kim has reportedly appealed for release due to deteriorating health. Kim is currently navigating two distinct legal proceedings at the Supreme Court. The first involves corruption charges related to Deutsche Motors stock manipulation and other allegations, for which an appellate court handed down a four-year prison sentence. The second involves bribery-related charges concerning the receipt of luxury goods in exchange for mediation and influence, which resulted in a five-year sentence at the appellate level.

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