[Anchor]
Kim Keon-hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been sentenced to seven years in prison in the first trial regarding the so-called 'selling of offices' case. The court found her guilty of all charges related to the acceptance of valuables, including necklaces, earrings, brooches, a gold turtle, watches, and paintings.
Our first report is from Jung Hye-jin.
[Reporter]
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Agreement Division 21 sentenced Kim Keon-hee to seven years in prison today (June 26) for the so-called 'selling of offices' charges, which involved accepting expensive gifts in exchange for mediating various requests.
The court found Kim guilty of all charges regarding the acceptance of the so-called 'NATO 3-piece set,' including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace worth 55.6 million won, a Tiffany brooch worth 26.1 million won, and Graff earrings worth 22.1 million won, all received from Lee Bong-kwan, chairman of Seohee Construction.
The court stated, "The implicit solicitation for mediation from Chairman Lee led to an explicit personnel request from his eldest son-in-law just weeks later, confirming the charge of accepting bribes for mediation."
The court particularly criticized the gravity of her actions, noting that she caused confusion during the investigation by returning a counterfeit necklace after having already returned the authentic one.
The court also found her guilty of accepting a gold turtle worth 2.65 million won and a replica of Sehando from Lee Bae-yong, former chair of the National Education Commission, along with a request for an appointment shortly after former President Yoon was elected.
Furthermore, all other charges of accepting valuables were recognized as guilty, including receiving a Vacheron Constantin watch worth 39.9 million won from robot dog entrepreneur Seo Seong-bin in exchange for business support, and a painting by artist Lee Ufan worth 140 million won from former senior prosecutor Kim Sang-min in exchange for nomination mediation.
[Chief Judge Cho Soon-pyo / Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 21: The spouse of a president must strictly exercise self-restraint and remain exceptionally vigilant. However, Kim abandoned these social responsibilities and repeatedly accepted valuables by using her influence as a subject for mediation.]
The court added that an extensive unofficial structure of solicitation had formed around the First Lady, and that it was imposing a heavy sentence on Kim for privately exploiting the influence of the president's spouse.
Reported by Jung Hye-jin | Video by Yang Hyun-chul | Video Editing by Kim Yoon-seong
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.