Seoul, South Korea — A designer handbag set off a scandal that has now landed South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, behind bars.
Kim, the wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was sentenced on Wednesday to one year and eight months in prison for bribery in one of three criminal trials she faces. Both prosecutors and Kim’s legal team retain the right to appeal the ruling.
The Seoul District Court found Kim guilty of accepting bribes from the controversial Unification Church, including a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace. She was acquitted of stock manipulation charges, conspiring with her husband to obtain free public opinion polls, and receiving a second Chanel bag, with the court citing insufficient evidence and expired statutes of limitations. Prosecutors estimated the total value of stocks, bribes, and polls at 1.15 billion Korean won (around $813,000).
“Kim misused her status as a means of pursuing profit,” said Judge Woo In-seong during the ruling. “The defendant was unable to refuse the expensive luxury items provided in connection with special favor, and was thirsty to receive and decorate herself with them.” He added, however, that Kim had not solicited the gifts, did not convey requests from the church to her husband, and is now reflecting on her actions.
The sentencing marks the latest blow to the former presidential couple, both of whom have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Kim has admitted to receiving the Chanel bags, while Yoon faces trial for insurrection related to his brief declaration of martial law in 2024, alongside multiple other allegations. Kim’s stock manipulation accusations, linked to a BMW dealership, date back more than a decade.
Kim was arrested last August by a special counsel, with prosecutors initially seeking 15 years in prison for her various alleged crimes. “Kim Keon Hee used her status as president’s spouse to easily receive money and expensive goods, and widely intervened in various personnel appointments and nominations,” said Min Joong-ki, who led the special counsel team, following their 180-day investigation. The leader of the Unification Church is also on trial over the bribery allegations.
A Long List of Scandals
Kim’s high-profile lifestyle set her apart from traditional South Korean first ladies, who typically maintain a more reserved public presence. Prior to marrying Yoon in 2012, she founded her own exhibition agency and worked in the art industry.
Her conduct came under scrutiny even before Yoon’s presidential campaign. In 2021, Kim apologized for inflating her resume and pledged to “remain focused on my role as a wife” if her husband won the election the following year. She also faced academic plagiarism allegations, resulting in the revocation of her master’s and doctoral degrees from Sookmyung Women’s University and Kookmin University, respectively.
Allegations of stock manipulation between 2010 and 2012, tied to Deutsch Motors, further marred her reputation. The controversy intensified when Yoon, as president, vetoed a bill calling for a special investigation into his wife.
The tipping point came in late 2023 when a secretly filmed video surfaced showing a Korean-American pastor presenting Kim with a $2,200 Christian Dior handbag. While the footage did not show her accepting the gift outright, the presence of the shopping bag raised questions about her conduct.
Broader Legal Fallout
Kim’s conviction follows a series of legal setbacks for her husband and their associates. President Yoon was impeached and removed from office after his declaration of martial law in 2024. His prime minister was sentenced last week to 23 years in prison, and Yoon himself recently received a five-year sentence for obstructing detention attempts and denying Cabinet debate on the martial law decree. He still faces eight other criminal trials, including charges of rebellion.
Throughout proceedings, Yoon has consistently resisted questioning about his wife’s actions.
While a former South Korean president facing jail time may seem dramatic, it is not unprecedented. Yoon, as a prosecutor, was instrumental in bringing down former President Park Geun-hye, who was imprisoned for corruption and abuse of power
