A former presidential couple incarcerated: South Korean justice on Tuesday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee on appeal to four years in prison for stock market manipulation and corruption, scandals which marred the presidency of her husband Yoon Suk Yeol, imprisoned him for insurrection.
The former first lady was sentenced at first instance in January to 20 months' imprisonment for corruption after having accepted luxury gifts from the Moon sect, but benefited from acquittals, notably on accusations of price manipulation. What the Seoul Court of Appeal overturned on Tuesday, significantly increasing his sentence.
"The court sentences the accused to four years in prison and imposes a fine of 50 million won", approximately 29,000 euros, declared the Court of Appeal in a decision broadcast live on television.
With her lower face covered by a white mask, Kim Keon Hee kept her head lowered when the verdict was announced.
The court found her guilty of manipulating the stock price of Deutsch Motors, a South Korean car dealership, calling the act a "collusive transaction... constituting market manipulation."
“The defendant appears to have participated in this type of conduct,” declared the court in overturning his acquittal.
The Court of Appeal added that the 53-year-old former first lady "did not recognize her guilt and on the contrary constantly resorted to excuses".
Her corruption conviction came after she accepted two Chanel handbags and a Graff necklace from the Unification Church, also known as the Moon sect.
As a result of these bribes, "public confidence in the transparency of state affairs and the fair conduct of national politics has been shaken", the court ruled.
He said he took into account Ms. Kim's lack of criminal record to determine her sentence.
The former first lady's lawyers told AFP that they would appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court.
- Political repercussions -
Kim Keon Hee became known for her fight for a ban on dog meat in South Korea.
However, her escapades strongly marked the presidency of her husband, the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, dismissed after his disastrous attempt to impose martial law at the end of 2024 for which he is incarcerated.
In 2023, she was trapped by a pastor who, equipped with a hidden camera, filmed her receiving a luxury handbag from him.
This scandal contributed to the crushing defeat of her husband's party in power during the April 2024 legislative elections.
Mr. Yoon had vetoed three attempts by Parliament to launch an investigation against his wife, the last of them in November 2024.
A week later, he tried to decree martial law
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