Luxury Gifts Trap Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee, Special Prosecutor Brings 4-Year Sentence to the Supreme Court

Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee. (Yonhap photo)

JAKARTA - The corruption case of former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee has not stopped at a four-year prison sentence. The special prosecutor is now taking the case to the Supreme Court.

According to a Yonhap report quoted on Monday, May 4, the special prosecutor team led by Min Joong-ki appealed the Seoul High Court's ruling. The ruling had previously increased Kim's sentence from 20 months to four years in prison.

Kim is the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. She was found partially guilty of a stock price manipulation scheme. The court also found Kim guilty of receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church.

The court said Kim received two Chanel bags, a Graff diamond necklace, and ginseng extract tea. The gifts were given by a former Unification Church official who is said to have asked for help in 2022.

The court also imposed a fine of 50 million won or about 33,900 US dollars. The diamond necklace was ordered to be confiscated. Kim was also ordered to pay compensation of about 20 million won.

The special prosecutor had previously demanded a 15-year prison sentence. Kim was accused of violating the Capital Market Law, the Political Fund Law, as well as rules on accepting bribes for intermediaries.

The appeal to the Supreme Court is allegedly related to the appeal court's decision to acquit Kim of charges of political fund violations. The charge concerns the alleged receipt of free poll results from someone claiming to be a power broker.

The court judged that the indictment was not strong enough. The reason is that the results of the poll were also given to other parties, not only to Kim and her husband.

The Seoul High Court's ruling previously reversed a lower court's ruling. At the first level, Kim was acquitted of charges of stock price manipulation and was only found guilty of receiving some luxury gifts.

Now, both parties are pursuing further legal action. The special prosecutor appealed. Kim, who has been detained since August in connection with the corruption charges, also appealed against the four-year prison sentence.

This case has come under scrutiny for dragging figures who have been close to the center of power in South Korea. The case also shows how alleged gifts, influence, and political interests are tested in the courtroom.