On January 28, Ms. Kim Keon Hee - wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol - was sentenced by the court. Everything started with branded handbags and ended with a prison sentence for the former most powerful woman in South Korea.
The court sentenced Ms. Kim to 20 months in prison for bribery. She was convicted of receiving a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace from the United Church. This is a ruling for one of the three criminal trials she is facing.
However, public opinion still raises questions about the real motive for a woman who was already very rich to accept legal risks to receive gifts. Financial records show that Ms. Kim was not at all poor but on the contrary was the economic pillar of the family before her husband took office.
According to the asset announcement of government officials in 2022 that Yonhap news agency once published, the total assets of Mr. and Mrs. Yoon Suk Yeol at that time were 7.6 billion won (equivalent to about 5.7 million USD). What is surprising is that the financial balance completely leans towards the wife.
While Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol only owns about 520 million won (about 390,000 USD), Ms. Kim Keon Hee holds up to 7.1 billion won (about 5.3 million USD) in total assets, mainly in the form of bank deposits.
This fortune was accumulated from her successful business career as CEO of the art exhibition company Covana Contents. She was a self-made billionaire before entering the Presidential Palace.
Despite possessing strong financial potential, Ms. Kim is accused of still being unable to avoid material temptations accompanied by power. At the recent trial, prosecutors pointed out evidence of bribery including a Chanel handbag and Graff diamond necklace from the United Church.
Judge Woo In Seong in the verdict stated that the defendant "desires to receive and decorate himself" with these expensive items.
The total value of charges related to bribery and violations in the case is estimated at about 1.15 billion won (equivalent to 813,000 USD).
Her husband's political career also collapsed partly because of this branded hobby. The scandal of the Dior bag worth 2,200 USD being secretly filmed earlier was the last straw, causing public outrage.
With this ruling, Mr. and Mrs. Yoon Suk Yeol have become the first former President and wife couple in South Korean history to serve prison sentences at the same time.
