South Korea appeal court cuts Kim term to five years
Thestandard · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A South Korean appeals court on Tuesday reduced former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s prison term to five years from seven in a corruption case tied to luxury gifts and alleged political favours. The Seoul High Court acquitted her on some counts, while leaving other convictions in place and ordering confiscation of gifts plus a forfeiture fine.
Key Points
- Yonhap reported that an appeals court cut Kim’s sentence from seven years to five years on Tuesday after reviewing her corruption convictions.
- The Seoul High Court acquitted Kim on some counts, including one involving a luxury wristwatch and another involving a replica of a famous painting.
- The court upheld other corruption convictions, including findings that Kim accepted luxury jewelry in exchange for a government appointment for a businessman’s eldest son-in-law.
- Xinhua said the court ordered confiscation of gifts and imposed a forfeiture fine of 24.4 million won, about US$18,000.
- Kim has denied the charges, and her lawyers said after Tuesday’s ruling that they disagreed with the remaining convictions and would appeal to the Supreme Court.
Why It Matters
The ruling keeps legal and political attention on the former presidential couple after the lower court’s June conviction and the appeal court’s partial acquittals. For Hong Kong readers following regional politics, the case is another sign that South Korea’s leadership crisis continues to generate major court battles even after Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment and life sentence.