Former first lady of South Korea is convicted of accepting bribes

Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrested in Seoul on August 12, 2025. Jung Yeon-Je/Pool/AFP The former first lady of South Korea, Kim Keon Hee, was convicted, this Wednesday (28), of accepting bribes. The court gave her a sentence of one year and eight months. 📱Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free Kim was acquitted of two other charges: stock manipulation and violation of the public financing law. Kim’s defense stated that they will appeal the decision. The former first lady was arrested in August 2025 accused of financial market fraud, bribery and influence peddling. She is married to former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been in prison since July of the same year. With her arrest, Kim became the first wife of a president or former president to be detained in South Korea. Yoon, her husband, was impeached after attempting a self-coup by declaring martial law in December 2024. In January of this year, Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison for crimes related to obstruction of justice. The former president was found guilty of failing to follow due process before declaring martial law and other crimes related to obstruction of justice. They are: Excluding government officials from a meeting on preparations for the imposition of martial law; Create an official document related to the declaration of martial law; Prevent investigators from arresting him by hiding for weeks in the official residence under the protection of his personal guard; Destroy possible criminal evidence by ordering the deletion of official phone records. Now, the former president still faces seven more separate cases, and one of them, which judges insurrection, could result in the death penalty. Yoon’s defense, who has already been imprisoned since July 2025, stated that he will appeal the decision. See the trending videos on g1 See the videos that are trending on g1 Controversial First Lady Specialist in visual arts and responsible for the creation and management of a successful curation agency, Kim was at the center of a series of scandals both before and after her husband’s election in 2022. The controversies, at various times, came to eclipse Yoon’s already troubled presidency. Her public appearances, marked by attention-grabbing clothing choices, and her behind-the-scenes role in power — including defending the ban on dog meat consumption — contributed to her controversial image in a country where the first lady is expected to adopt a reserved profile.

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