SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean appellate court on Tuesday reduced the prison sentence for Kim Keon-hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, to five years, cutting two years off a lower court's seven-year ruling for corruption, including the sale of government posts.
The Seoul High Court handed down the lighter sentence, acquitting her of some counts. The court ordered the confiscation of gifts offered to her, along with a forfeiture fine of 24.4 million won (about 18,000 U.S. dollars).
The team of Min Joong-ki, an independent counsel who led investigations into corruption allegations involving the former presidential couple, demanded a seven-year sentence for Kim for selling public offices in exchange for high-priced jewelry and luxury goods.
The court overturned a conviction regarding a luxury wristwatch, which Kim received from a robot dog entrepreneur in September 2022 in return for business favors.
The court also acquitted her of charges that she received a replica of a famous painting in exchange for personnel solicitation, citing a failure to prove the charges.
However, the court upheld all other corruption charges from the initial trial.
Kim was found guilty of accepting luxury jewelry, including a necklace, a brooch and earrings, from a businessman between March and May 2022 in return for the appointment of his eldest son-in-law to a government post.
She was convicted of receiving a designer bag and other luxury goods from a pastor between June and September 2022 in exchange for favors, and a gold turtle from a former chief of the national education commission in exchange for an appointment favor in April of the same year.
The court upheld the finding that Kim received a painting from a former prosecutor in February 2023 in return for political nomination favors.
Kim, who was indicted under detention in August 2025, became the first wife of a former South Korean president to be tried under detention. ■
