Seoul Court to Deliver Verdict on Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee on Friday

A Seoul court will deliver its verdict this week on former first lady Kim Keon Hee in a case involving luxury gifts received in exchange for job appointments and business favors. m. Friday, June 26, 2026, according to judicial sources.

Kim Keon Hee was indicted in December on charges of violating a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation. Prosecutors allege she received over 100 million won (US$65,231) worth of jewelry, including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, from the chairman of a construction company between March and May 2022, along with a request for a government position for the businessman's son-in-law.

She also allegedly received a golden turtle ornament from Lee Bae-yong, former head of the National Education Commission, in April 2022 in exchange for his appointment to the position.

4 million won from a pastor in 2022, a Vacheron Constantin watch from an entrepreneur that year, and a painting by artist Lee Ufan from a former prosecutor in February 2023. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team demanded a 7 1/2-year prison term for Kim during a trial hearing last month.

The prosecution stated she repeatedly used her status as the spouse of the president for transactions for personal interests.

Kim Keon Hee has pleaded not guilty, arguing she had received the gifts but they did not involve any specific requests. In a separate corruption case, an appeals court sentenced her to four years in prison in April. A file photo dated April 13, 2026, shows Kim Keon Hee attending former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae's insurrection trial hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul.