A South Korean appeals court has increased the prison sentence for former First Lady Kim Keon Hee from 20 months to four years on corruption charges. The ruling comes weeks after her husband, ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion.
Key Takeaways
A South Korean appeals court increased ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's prison sentence from five to seven years for obstruction of justice and other charges related to his failed martial law bid. Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee also saw her sentence extended to four years on corruption charges, including accepting luxury gifts and stock price manipulation. Both have vowed to appeal their sentences.
- Appeals court increases Yoon's sentence from five to seven years for obstruction of justice
- Kim Keon Hee sentenced to four years for corruption charges
- Both defendants plan to appeal their sentences to the Supreme Court
- Yoon's actions triggered a severe political crisis and his impeachment
- Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received a 23-year sentence
The Seoul High Court found Kim guilty of receiving luxury items including a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel bags from the Unification Church, which sought political favors. The court also convicted her of stock price manipulation, reversing an earlier acquittal on that charge. According to Reuters, Kim was fined 70 million won ($54,257) and ordered to forfeit the necklace.
The couple's downfall stems from Yoon's imposition of martial law in December 2024, which led to his impeachment. As reported by NPR, investigators maintain Kim was not involved in her husband's martial law enforcement. However, the court stated that as first lady, she represented the country and failed to meet public expectations for integrity.
The Seoul High Court also increased Yoon's sentence from five years to seven years in prison on obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from his failed martial law bid. The court found Yoon guilty of obstructing investigators from detaining him in January 2025 over his short-lived imposition of martial law the previous month.
Judge Yoon Sung-sik said the conservative former president sidestepped a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law, falsified documents to conceal the lapse, and deployed security officials 'like a private army' to resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him in the weeks following his impeachment. Yoon stood quietly as the verdict was delivered and made no comment.
Kim's legal team announced plans to appeal Tuesday's ruling to the Supreme Court, arguing that independent counsel Min Joong-ki's investigation was politically motivated. The case is part of ongoing trials related to Yoon's martial law declaration and associated scandals. According to Reuters, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received a 23-year sentence for allegedly turning a blind eye to Yoon's plans.
Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had sought a 10-year prison term for Yoon. Yoon's lawyers vowed to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, calling it 'unacceptable.' The appellate court upheld most of the lower court's ruling, finding Yoon guilty of ordering the deletion of secure phone records and creating and then discarding a false proclamation after the decree was lifted.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 5 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.