On January 28, 2026, a South Korean court sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee to 20 months in prison after she was convicted of bribery, and has been one of the largest corruption convictions ever involving a first lady in a political role. The decision was reached by the Seoul Central District Court, which found Kim abused her previous position as first lady to accept luxury gifts by Unification Church members in exchange for influence and favors. The items reportedly included expensive designer handbags and expensive jewelry. Even if such gifts could not be traced back to policies, the court added, the acceptance of such gifts constituted bribery under South Korean law.
On the other hand, the court acquitted Kim of other much more serious crimes, such as stock price manipulation and violations under political funding laws, for lack of evidence. Prosecutors had wanted to impose a more serious punishment, calling for up to 15 years in prison, arguing that Kim had been at the center of a slew of corruption schemes over years.
Background and Investigation
Public criticism of Kim Keon Hee grew sharper during the presidency of her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, amid multiple accusations of unethical behavior. Concerns about influence-peddling and black box financial dealings, however, resulted in a new special prosecutor being appointed to the position in July 2025 to examine concerns about any allegations of corruption against the former first lady that may have involved the former president.
In August 2025, a court approved an arrest warrant for Kim, which led to her arrest in August 2025. She was formally indicted that month for bribery, stock manipulation, and illegal political financing, as well as for a host of other such crimes. Her arrest was the first time a former South Korean First Lady had been captured in a crime investigation.
Trial and Verdict
Kim’s trial started in September 2025, resulting in widespread media coverage. Prosecutors said that she systematically used her own advantage to manipulate public opinion to gain her power relationship, so as to harm public trust in government. Kim denied any legal conduct, maintaining those gifts were neither official nor due to an official influence and denied any form of such power.
The court took the bribery charge as a serious one and in its decision, but held that the evidence fell short of the legal threshold for conviction on the additional financial and election-related charges. The resulting 20-month sentence came in much lighter than prosecutors had asked for. Kim’s lawyers have said they are reviewing the case, contending that the court misunderstood the nature of the gifts and her title as first lady.
Wider Political Impact
The conviction comes at a time of more general political turmoil involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol. He was impeached and removed from office in 2025 after his attempt to put Yoon into dictatorial control was finally foiled in Dec 2024. Yoon has since been convicted in another case and is currently serving prison sentences, while trial dates remain undecided.
As a pair Yoon and Kim’s convictions are a never-before-seen fall from power for a former presidential couple; they have thrown into sharp relief South Korea’s quarrel over political accountability in politics and elite privilege, as well as what the influence of religious and business groups in government may really be.
Significance
South Korea has a history of prosecuting former leaders and senior officials for corrupt practices, but the imprisonment of a previous first lady highlights the judiciary’s eagerness to crack down on individuals who shouldn’t be held accountable, let alone government officials. Legal experts cite the case as likely to set an important precedent for defining limits to informal influence from family members of the president.
The verdict has been lauded by anti-corruption advocates as a reaffirmation of the rule of law, while detractors contend the sentence was too light in light of the weight of the accusations. The case is anticipated to further help shape South Korea’s political and legal environment as appeals and the associated proceedings take place.
