[Anchor]
Kim Keon-hee, indicted on charges of trading government positions and influence peddling, has been sentenced to five years in prison by an appeals court, a two-year reduction from her first-trial sentence. The reduction came after some of the charges regarding the receipt of valuables were overturned and ruled not guilty. However, the court upheld the guilty verdict for most of the remaining charges, rebuking Kim for forgetting her status and receiving valuables without hesitation.
Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.
[Reporter]
[Sung Eon-joo, High Court Judge, Criminal Division 15-3 of the Seoul High Court: The defendant is sentenced to five years in prison.]
The Seoul High Court sentenced Kim Keon-hee, who stood trial on charges of mediating influence.
The sentence was reduced by two years from the seven-year prison term handed down in the first trial. Unlike the first trial, the appeals court found her not guilty of charges regarding receiving a luxury watch worth 39.9 million won from robotics businessman Seo Sung-bin in exchange for business support favors, as well as receiving a replica of Sehando worth 500,000 won from former National Education Commission Chairperson Lee Bae-yong.
However, the court upheld guilty verdicts on charges including receiving luxury jewelry sets, known as the "NATO trio" set, worth approximately 100 million won from Seohee Construction Chairman Lee Bong-kwan in exchange for lobbying related to a son-in-law's personnel appointment, and receiving an expensive painting from former Senior Prosecutor Kim Sang-min in exchange for nomination lobbying.
The court ordered the forfeiture of the expensive jewelry and painting, along with an additional collection of 24.4 million won, defining the case as "power-driven influence peddling."
The court rebuked Kim, stating, "She received valuables without a shred of hesitation, having forgotten her status," and added, "The influence of the president's spouse was reduced to private transactions, significantly undermining the transparency and fairness of overall state affairs."
[Sung Eon-joo, High Court Judge, Criminal Division 15-3 of the Seoul High Court: The disappointment and frustration felt by the public, having witnessed the risk of state power being exercised according to the interests of those who provided valuables, can never be healed by any means.]
Throughout the trial, Kim kept her head down and stared at the floor, only speaking with her attorney after the guilty and not-guilty rulings were read.
Immediately following the sentencing, Kim's legal team stated, "We will immediately appeal the guilty portions." The special counsel's office also stated, "We will review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal."
Chairman Lee Bong-kwan, Seo Sung-bin, and Reverend Choi Jae-young did not appeal following the first trial, finalizing their sentences. Meanwhile, former Chairperson Lee Bae-yong, indicted on evidence destruction charges, received the same sentence in the appeals court as in the first trial: 10 months in prison suspended for two years.
(Camera Reporter: Kim Hangyul, Video Editor: Cho Moo-hwan)
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