South Korea’s former First Lady, Kim Hee sentenced to seven years in prison

South Korea’s former First Lady, Kim Keon Hee, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after a Seoul court found her guilty of bribery, deepening the legal fallout from the political crisis that led to the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The ruling was delivered on Friday, less than a year after prosecutors charged Kim with bribery, violations of financial market laws and political funding regulations, according to US News.

Kim was indicted in August 2025 by a team led by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, about two weeks after a court ordered her arrest.

Prosecutors accused her of receiving bribes and violating financial market and political funding laws following months of investigations into alleged corruption involving the former first lady and senior officials in her husband’s administration.

Her conviction comes as authorities continue sweeping investigations into Yoon’s former government.

South Korea’s political crisis began on December 3, 2024, when Yoon declared martial law in an attempt to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled National Assembly. Lawmakers overturned the declaration within hours, but the move triggered months of political instability, disrupted foreign policy and rattled the economy.

Yoon was later impeached and removed from office in April before being rearrested after his conservative party lost an early presidential election.

The government subsequently appointed three special prosecutors to investigate the martial law declaration and corruption allegations involving Yoon, Kim and other officials from the former administration.

A separate team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk also charged former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo with aiding Yoon’s declaration of martial law.

Han faces additional charges of falsifying and destroying official documents and lying under oath.

Authorities said dozens of people have been arrested or placed under investigation over the martial law episode and corruption allegations linked to the former administration.

Among those under investigation is former Defence Minister, Kim Yong Hyun, who is accused of helping plan the martial law declaration and deploying troops to the National Assembly in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent lawmakers from voting to lift the emergency order.

More than 60 people were also indicted over riots at a Seoul court following the issuance of a warrant for Yoon’s first arrest in January.

In May 2025, prosecutors additionally charged Yoon with abuse of authority, adding to the legal cases stemming from his presidency.