A South Korean appeals court has reduced the prison sentence of Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, to 5 years from the 7 years handed down by the lower court, in a corruption case that included the selling of posts at state agencies. The Seoul High Court also acquitted Kim on some charges, overturning its ruling on a luxury wristwatch she received from a robot dog business operator in September 2022 in exchange for business favors, and acquitted her on charges of receiving a replica of a famous painting in exchange for lobbying help on personnel appointments, as the allegations could not be proven. However, the court upheld its finding that Kim was guilty on other corruption charges from the lower court trial, and ordered the forfeiture of gifts she received and the payment of a fine for the confiscation of assets amounting to 24.4 million won, or about 18,000 US dollars. Kim was indicted in August 2025 while in custody, making her the first wife of a former South Korean president to stand trial while detained. The special prosecution team of Min Jung Ki had sought a 7-year prison sentence for her.
