South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee's Sentence Increased to Four Years in Corruption Case

Seoul. The political downfall linked to former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from power, is deepening. An appellate court has increased the jail sentence for his wife, Kim Keon Hee, in a further corruption case. This decision, coming after Yoon was already sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of rebellion, makes the downfall of the former ruling couple even more dramatic.

The Seoul High Court on Tuesday decided to extend Kim's sentence to four years. Previously, in January, the district court had sentenced her to 20 months in jail. At that time, it was proven that she had taken expensive gifts—a diamond necklace and a Chanel bag—in exchange for political support from the Unification Church. However, she was acquitted of charges of involvement in stock price manipulation before becoming the First Lady.

However, after appeals from both sides, the High Court, based on further evidence, increased the sentence, ruling that she received another Chanel bag and was involved in price manipulation. According to the court, as the President's closest associate, Kim abused her influence and position for personal gain, which has severely damaged public trust.

The political crisis that began in December 2024 when Yoon suddenly declared martial law eventually led to his impeachment and removal from office. Since then, Yoon has faced various criminal charges. In February, the Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of rebellion and sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges of attempting to seize parliament, planning to arrest political opponents, and mobilizing the army and police to establish an autocratic regime.

Investigators have clarified that Kim was not directly involved in the martial law incident. However, her name had already been linked to various scandals, which led to a significant drop in Yoon's popularity and gave opponents continuous political ammunition.

Kim has been in custody since last August because the Seoul District Court approved her arrest warrant, citing the possibility of destroying evidence. Following the current verdict, she and her independent lawyer have been given one week to appeal to the Supreme Court. Earlier, the team of independent counsel Min Jung-ki had sought a sentence of up to 15 years for her, but Kim's side has called the investigation politically motivated.

In its verdict, the Seoul High Court stated that the standards of responsibility and ethics associated with public office are high, and concluded that Kim failed to demonstrate conduct in line with those standards. The court found that she accepted gifts by leveraging her status, which weakened public trust in the governance system.

Analysts say this series of events exemplifies a rapid fall from the pinnacle of power to a legal crisis in South Korea's recent political history.