Spouse of former South Korean president sentenced to twenty months for bribery

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A South Korean court docket sentenced former first woman Kim Keon Hee on Wednesday to 1 12 months and eight months in jail after discovering her responsible of accepting Chanel baggage and a diamond pendant from Unification Church officers in return for political favours.

The court docket cleared Kim, the spouse of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from workplace final 12 months, on expenses of inventory worth manipulation and violating the political funds act.

Prosecutors will enchantment towards the 2 not-guilty verdicts, media experiences stated.

The ruling, which may even be appealed by Kim, comes amid a sequence of trials following investigations into Yoon's temporary imposition of martial regulation in 2024 and associated scandals involving the once-powerful couple.

The place of first woman doesn't include any formal energy permitting involvement in state affairs, however she is a symbolic determine representing the nation, the lead choose of a three-justice bench stated.

"An individual who was in such a place may not all the time be a task mannequin, however the individual should not be a nasty instance to the general public," he stated within the ruling.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A man and woman walk past a gauntlet of photographers outside a building" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5d559773-1629-41bd-8d99-f5ed5bcb2d4f,1769586500708/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1620%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5d559773-1629-41bd-8d99-f5ed5bcb2d4f,1769586500708/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1620%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5d559773-1629-41bd-8d99-f5ed5bcb2d4f,1769586500708/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1620%2C1080%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5d559773-1629-41bd-8d99-f5ed5bcb2d4f,1769586500708/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C1620%2C1080%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.5" data-cy="image-img"/> Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Kim, in August 2025. The presidential couple suffered a fall from grace after Yoon was impeached and faraway from workplace. (Ahn Younger-joon/The Related Press) The court docket ordered her to pay a fantastic of 12.8 million received (round $12,155 Cdn) and ordered the confiscation of the diamond necklace. Kim has been held in detention since August whereas she was being investigated by a group led by a particular prosecutor.

Prosecutors had demanded 15 years in jail. The court docket cleared Kim on expenses of manipulating inventory costs and violating political funding legal guidelines.

Kim had denied all the costs. Her lawyer stated the group would evaluate the ruling and determine whether or not to enchantment the bribery conviction.

Kim, clad in a darkish swimsuit and carrying a face masks, was escorted by guards into the courtroom on the Seoul Central District Court docket and sat quietly whereas the decision was delivered.

Supporters of Yoon and Kim, who braved freezing temperatures outdoors the court docket compound, cheered after the not-guilty verdicts on two of the costs had been delivered.

The Unification Church stated the items had been delivered to her with out anticipating something. Its chief Han Hak-ja, who can also be on trial, has denied that she directed it to bribe Kim.

Yoon dealing with extra trials Yoon, who was ousted from energy final April, additionally faces eight trials on expenses together with revolt, after his failed bid to impose martial regulation in December 2024.

He has appealed towards a five-year jail time period handed to him this month for obstructing makes an attempt to arrest him after his martial regulation decree.

At a separate trial this month, prosecutors have sought the loss of life penalty for Yoon on the cost of masterminding an revolt. The court docket will rule on the case on Feb. 19.

Yoon has argued it was inside his powers as president to declare martial regulation and that the motion was geared toward sounding the alarm over the obstruction of presidency by opposition events.