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South Korean court sentences ex-first lady Kim to 7 years for taking luxury gifts tied to favors
The court also ordered confiscation of luxury gifts, including a diamond necklace, handbag and painting, after finding she accepted them for favors.
On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee to seven years in prison for accepting luxury gifts in exchange for government jobs and business favors.
Presiding Judge Cho Sun-pyo stated that Kim disregarded her social responsibilities, "unhesitatingly accepted valuables of a kind that the average citizen would struggle to acquire even once in a lifetime."
Evidence showed Kim received approximately 300 million won in bribes, including jewelry from Seohee Construction Chairman Lee Bong-kwan and gifts from Pastor Choi Jae-yong to influence government appointments.
Kim, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, faces this new term alongside a previously handed four-year sentence, though her lawyers indicated plans to appeal the ruling.
The conviction compounds the legal crisis surrounding the presidential family, as Yoon currently serves a life sentence for his 2024 martial law attempt and removal from office in April 2025.