A Seoul court has handed down a seven-year prison sentence to Kim Keon Hee, the former First Lady of South Korea. The judgment followed a guilty verdict for bribery, a development that intensifies the legal consequences of the political upheaval that previously ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The court issued its decision this past Friday, roughly a year after authorities leveled charges against Kim. The prosecution focused on allegations of bribery, along with breaches of political financing and financial market regulations. These charges stemmed from an indictment filed in August 2025 by a team directed by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, shortly after her arrest was mandated by the courts.
These legal actions coincide with a broader series of investigations targeting the former Yoon administration. The nation’s instability began in December 2024 when President Yoon invoked martial law to bypass the opposition-led National Assembly. Although parliament nullified the measure quickly, the decision destabilized the economy and paralyzed foreign policy. Yoon was eventually impeached and removed in April 2025, facing subsequent arrest following his party’s electoral defeat.
Currently, three independent prosecution teams are examining the martial law decree and various corruption claims. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is being prosecuted for his alleged role in the martial law declaration, as well as for charges related to the destruction of government records and perjury. Furthermore, former Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun is under investigation for his involvement in mobilizing military forces toward the National Assembly. Additional legal proceedings involve over 60 individuals connected to disturbances at a Seoul courthouse earlier this year.
