Former South Korean First Lady Makes First Court Appearance on Criminal Charges

Seoul [South Korea], September 25: On September 24, Ms. Kim Keon Hee, wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, attended the first trial on her corruption charges at the Seoul Central District Court.
The September 24 trial also marked the first time a former South Korean First Lady has appeared in court on criminal charges. Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee is currently facing charges of violating the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and the Intermediary Bribery Act, according to Yonhap.
The first allegation involves Ms. Kim colluding with the former director of Deutsch Motors (a BMW dealer in Korea) to manipulate the company's stock price and earn 810 million won ($581,000) in illegal profits from 2010 to 2012.
The second allegation involves Ms. Kim and former President Yoon Suk Yeol receiving free opinion poll packages worth 270 million won from a self-proclaimed power broker ahead of the 2022 South Korean presidential election. In return, they are suspected of nominating former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun to the South Korean National Assembly later that year.
The final allegation relates to Ms. Kim receiving luxury gifts worth 80 million won from a Unification Church official in 2022, along with requests for help.
The investigation team of Ms. Kim's case has asked the court to freeze all of her assets pending trial.
In a brief statement to the court, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee confirmed her identity and asked to be tried by a judge instead of a jury, but did not mention any charges, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kim's lawyer denied all the charges. If convicted, Ms. Kim could face penalties ranging from administrative fines to five years in prison.
Ms Kim's husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is also on trial on charges related to the decision to impose martial law in December 2024.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper