South Korea’s judicial system prepares to deliver a landmark verdict this week in the trial of Kim Keon Hee, the nation’s former first lady, marking an unprecedented moment in the country’s political history. The spouse of imprisoned ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol faces multiple felony charges including bribery, stock manipulation, and election interference—all of which she maintains are false allegations.
Prosecutors allege that between 2010 and 2012, Kim illicitly gained approximately 800 million won ($552,570) through participation in a stock price manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors, South Korea’s prominent BMW dealership. Additionally, she stands accused of accepting luxury items including Chanel handbags and diamond jewelry valued at 80 million won from the controversial Unification Church in exchange for political favors. The prosecution further contends she received unauthorized campaign assistance worth 270 million won during her husband’s 2022 presidential bid.
This Wednesday’s proceedings, broadcast live from the courtroom, represent the first instance in South Korean history where a detained presidential spouse faces criminal indictment. The trial focuses specifically on the Unification Church bribery allegations, stock manipulation charges, and election law violations.
Kim’s legal troubles predate her tenure as first lady. Prior to her husband’s presidency, she faced allegations of academic misconduct that ultimately led Sookmyung Women’s University to revoke her degree in 2025 after determining her thesis contained plagiarized content. Additionally, her management of Covana Contents, an art exhibition company she founded in 2009, has been scrutinized for alleged tax evasion and kickback schemes—charges initially dismissed in 2023 but now under renewed investigation.
The most damaging evidence emerged in late-2023 through covert footage showing Kim accepting a luxury handbag from a church pastor, potentially violating South Korea’s Anti-Graft Act that prohibits public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts exceeding 1 million won. Although Kim claims she returned the items unused, the incident triggered widespread public outrage and intensified scrutiny of the presidential couple.
This case intersects with the downfall of her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who recently received a five-year prison sentence for abuse of power and attempting to impose martial law in 2024. The simultaneous imprisonment of both a former president and first lady establishes a historic precedent in South Korea’s democratic history, underscoring the nation’s intensified anti-corruption efforts and judicial accountability for highest-ranking officials.