South Korea’s former first lady jailed for bribery ahead of husband’s verdict

South Korea’s former first lady jailed for bribery ahead of husband’s verdict

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, was handed a 20-month sentence in a country where high-level prosecutions have become standard fare.

South Korea’s Former First Lady Sentenced to Prison Over Bribery Case

SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean court on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, sentenced Kim Keon Hee, the former first lady and wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, to one year and eight months in prison after finding her guilty of accepting bribes, marking the latest chapter in a series of scandals that have engulfed the former ruling couple. The Seoul District Court ruled that Ms. Kim had accepted luxury items from members of the Unification Ch…