Kim and Yoon have been jailed separately for months ahead of their respective trials.
The wife of South Korea’s impeached and removed President, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption, while her husband awaits a court verdict on rebellion charges that could attract the death penalty or life imprisonment.
According to AP report, Seoul Central District Court convicted Kim Keon Hee on Wednesday for accepting expensive gifts, including a diamond necklace, from the Unification Church in exchange for promises of business favours.
The sentencing marks another chapter in the dramatic collapse of the former first family, whose political fortunes unravelled after Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law in December 2024 triggered mass protests, impeachment proceedings and his eventual removal from office.
Kim and Yoon have been jailed separately for months ahead of their respective trials.
Yoon is facing charges over his imposition of martial law and other alleged abuses of power, while Kim was prosecuted on multiple corruption-related counts. Investigators have said Kim had no involvement in the planning or enforcement of the martial law.
In delivering its verdict, the court noted that although Kim was cleared of stock price manipulation and political funding law violations due to insufficient evidence, her conduct in the bribery case warranted imprisonment.
“Staying close to a president, a first lady can exert significant influence on him and is a symbolic figure who represents the country together with a president,” the court said.
"But the defendant exploited her position to seek personal gains.”
The 20-month sentence was significantly lower than the 15-year jail term sought by the independent counsel, who had accused Kim of bribery, market manipulation and illegal political financing.
Kim’s lawyers welcomed the acquittals on two of the three charges but described the prison term as “relatively high,” adding that they would consider whether to appeal.
Kim has been in custody since August, when a court approved her arrest, citing concerns that she could tamper with evidence.
Shortly before her detention, she issued a public apology for causing concern but suggested she would contest the allegations, describing herself as “someone insignificant.”
The ruling against Kim comes about three weeks before the court is expected to decide Yoon’s fate over rebellion charges linked to his short-lived imposition of martial law.
Another independent counsel has reportedly requested the death penalty for the former president.
While Yoon was in office, Kim was frequently at the center of scandals that weighed heavily on his administration and damaged his approval ratings.
Some political analysts had speculated that Yoon declared martial law to shield his wife from impending investigations.
However, an independent counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk said a six-month probe found no evidence that Kim’s legal troubles prompted the move.
According to the investigators, Yoon had been planning the declaration of martial law for more than a year as part of an effort to neutralize political opponents and consolidate power, and Kim played no role in that process.
The twin legal battles facing the former presidential couple have become one of the most consequential political scandals in South Korea’s recent history.