SOUTH Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee (pic) has been accused by prosecutors of accepting lavish bribes worth more than US$200,000, including luxury jewellery, designer handbags and fine art, as well as covertly interfering in state affairs.
AFP reported on Monday that Kim, the wife of disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested in August and has been under investigation over alleged stock manipulation and the acceptance of gifts linked to the Unification Church, a religious group often described as cult-like.
She has also faced accusations of meddling in parliamentary elections.
Announcing the conclusion of the investigation, prosecutor Min Joong-ki said South Korea’s institutions had been “severely undermined by abuses of power” allegedly committed by Kim.
Another prosecutor, Kim Hyung-geun, said Kim had “illegally intervened in state affairs behind the scenes, beyond the public’s view”.
According to investigators, the total value of bribes allegedly received by Kim from business figures and politicians amounted to 377.25 million won. Prosecutors said the items included two Chanel handbags and a Graff necklace allegedly given by the leader of the Unification Church.
Kim was also accused of receiving other luxury items, including high-end jewellery, a painting by renowned South Korean minimalist artist Lee Ufan, a Dior handbag and an expensive wristwatch.
Former president Yoon denied any knowledge of the alleged transactions when questioned by investigators, “a claim that many find difficult to accept”, Kim Hyung-geun said.
Earlier this month, prosecutors sought a 15-year prison sentence for Kim, arguing that she had “stood above the law” and colluded with the Unification Church in ways that undermined the “constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”. They also requested that the court impose a fine of two billion won, equivalent to about US$1.4 million.
Kim has denied all allegations. In her final testimony, she described the accusations as “deeply unjust”.
“Yet when I consider my role and the responsibilities entrusted to me, it seems clear that I have made many mistakes,” she said.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of South Korea’s recent political upheaval. Former president Yoon declared martial law last December in a brief attempt to suspend civilian rule, triggering widespread turmoil. He was subsequently removed from office and arrested this year on charges of insurrection, which he denies.
The arrests marked the first time in South Korean history that a former president and his wife have both been detained. A Seoul court is scheduled to deliver its sentence on Kim Keon Hee on January 28. - December 29, 2025
