A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse Kim Keon Hee is seen throughout a rally by supporters exterior of the Seoul Excessive Court docket in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The letters learn “Not Guilty.”
Ahn Younger-joon/AP/AP
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Ahn Younger-joon/AP/AP
SEOUL, South Korea — An appeals court docket has elevated to 4 years the sentence for the spouse of South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol for corruption, weeks after her husband was sentenced to life in jail for revolt.
In January, ex-first girl Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to twenty months in jail in a district court docket for receiving items together with a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church, which sought political favors from the federal government. Nevertheless, she was acquitted of involvement in a inventory value manipulation scheme earlier than she grew to become first girl.
Each events appealed. On Tuesday, the Seoul Excessive Court docket convicted her of receiving one other Chanel bag from the church and on the value manipulation cost.
The couple suffered a fall from grace after Yoon’s martial legislation imposition in December 2024 led to his impeachment and eventual elimination from workplace. Yoon faces a slew of prison trials associated to his martial legislation debacle and different scandals. Investigators say Kim was not concerned in Yoon’s martial legislation enforcement.
The Seoul Excessive Court docket stated a primary girl, being closest to a president, represents the nation collectively along with her husband and has a giant affect on him. It stated Kim failed to satisfy public expectations for her integrity and exploited her high-profile standing to get the items from the Unification Church.
Kim’s legal professionals stated they will enchantment the ruling to the Supreme Court docket. Unbiased counsel Min Joong-ki’s staff earlier requested a 15-year time period. Kim’s protection staff has argued Min’s investigation was politically pushed.
Kim has been in jail since August, when the Seoul Central District Court docket authorised a warrant to arrest her, citing the possibility she would possibly destroy proof. When Yoon was in workplace, Kim was embroiled in scandals that harm her husband’s approval score and offered political ammunition to his rivals.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon, a conservative, abruptly imposed martial legislation and despatched troops and cops to the Nationwide Meeting, saying he aimed to eradicate “anti-state forces” and “shameless North Korea sympathizers.” The martial legislation lasted six hours as he was pressured to raise it after the meeting unanimously voted it down.
He has defended his motion, calling it a determined try to attract public help for his battle in opposition to the liberal opposition Democratic Social gathering that obstructed his agenda.
In February, the Seoul district court docket discovered Yoon responsible of revolt for mobilizing navy and police forces in an unlawful try to seize the meeting, arrest political opponents and set up unchecked energy for an indefinite interval.
