A TV screen shows a live broadcast of former first lady Kim Keon Hee's bribery trial at Seoul Station on Friday. Kim was sentenced to seven years in prison. Photo by Yonhap
A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to seven years in prison for taking expensive gifts in return for job appointments and business favors.
The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence to Kim, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, after she was indicted on charges of accepting bribes for mediation, including over 100 million won (US$64,750) worth of jewelry in exchange for a government job for a son-in-law of a construction company chairman.
In total, she was charged with taking approximately 300 million won worth of gifts, and the court found her guilty on all counts.
"The defendant disregarded the social responsibilities associated with the position of first lady and used it merely as a means to pursue her private interests," presiding judge Cho Sun-pyo said during the hearing, which was televised live.