The Rise and Fall of South Korea’s Most Controversial First Couple

It began with a single designer handbag, then another, followed by a luxury necklace and more. Now, it has culminated in prison time for South Korea’s former first lady.

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol—who is himself behind bars—was sentenced on Wednesday to one year and eight months in prison for bribery, one of three criminal cases she currently faces. Both prosecutors and Kim’s legal team have the option to appeal.

The court ruled that Kim accepted bribes from the controversial Unification Church, including a Chanel handbag and a Graff diamond necklace. However, she was acquitted of charges related to stock manipulation and conspiring with her husband to receive free public opinion polls, with the court citing insufficient evidence and expired statutes of limitation. She was also cleared of allegations involving a second Chanel bag.

Prosecutors had estimated the total value of the stocks, gifts, and polling services at roughly 1.15 billion won (about $813,000). Kim’s attorney, Woo, argued that she never solicited the gifts, did not pass along any requests from the church to her husband, and is now “self-reflecting” on her actions.

The ruling marks the latest setback for the former presidential couple, both of whom have consistently denied wrongdoing—though Kim has acknowledged receiving the Chanel bags. Yoon is currently on trial for insurrection related to his brief declaration of martial law in 2024, along with several other charges.

Kim’s legal troubles, however, predate her husband’s political downfall by years. Allegations that she manipulated stocks linked to a car dealership stretch back more than a decade. She was arrested last August following a special counsel investigation, with prosecutors seeking a 15-year sentence across the various charges addressed in Wednesday’s ruling.

“Kim Keon Hee used her position as the president’s spouse to easily receive money and expensive goods, and to exert influence over personnel appointments and nominations,” said Min Joong-ki, who led the special counsel team, after concluding a 180-day probe in December. The leader of the Unification Church—often referred to as the Moonies—is also standing trial over the bribery allegations.

A long trail of controversy

From the outset, Kim defied expectations of a traditional South Korean first lady. Before marrying Yoon in 2012—when he was still a prosecutor—she worked in the art world and founded her own exhibition agency. As first lady, she maintained a visible public presence, drawing attention for her fashion-forward style on overseas trips, which earned both admiration and criticism at home.

Concerns about her conduct emerged during Yoon’s presidential campaign. In 2021, Kim apologized for embellishing her résumé and promised to “focus on my role as a wife” if Yoon won the election. She later faced allegations of academic plagiarism, leading Sookmyung Women’s University to revoke her master’s degree last summer. Kookmin University subsequently stripped her of her PhD, despite having previously cleared her in an earlier investigation.

For years, Kim was also accused of manipulating stocks tied to the BMW dealership Deutsch Motors between 2010 and 2012. Public perception worsened when President Yoon vetoed legislation that would have launched a special investigation into his wife.

The tipping point came in late 2023, when a left-leaning YouTube channel released covert footage of a Korean-American pastor presenting Kim with a $2,200 Christian Dior handbag—separate from the Chanel bags involved in her conviction. The video, recorded in 2022 using a hidden camera in the pastor’s wristwatch, captures Kim saying, “Why do you keep bringing these? You don’t need to do this.” While she is not shown explicitly accepting the bag, she does not reject it, and a Dior shopping bag appears on the table beside her.

South Korea’s anti-graft law prohibits public officials and their spouses from accepting gifts worth more than $750 in connection with official duties. The video triggered public outrage, sending Yoon’s approval ratings to record lows. Kim largely vanished from public view soon afterward.

Collapse of a presidency

The crisis deepened when Yoon abruptly declared martial law late one night in December 2023. Lawmakers forced their way past armed soldiers to overturn the decree, and Yoon was swiftly impeached and removed from office. Investigations followed, ensnaring his wife and senior aides, including the prime minister, who was sentenced last week to 23 years in prison.

Earlier this month, Yoon received a five-year sentence for defying detention efforts and preventing Cabinet deliberation over the martial law order. Additional sentences may follow, as he still faces eight criminal trials, including charges of rebellion.

Throughout court proceedings, Yoon has repeatedly resisted efforts to question him about his wife.

While it is not uncommon for former South Korean presidents to end up behind bars—Yoon himself once prosecuted former President Park Geun-hye—this marks the first time a former presidential couple has been imprisoned simultaneously.