Topic analysis

South Korea: Ex-first lady Kim handed longer graft sentence

South Korea's appeals court has increased former first lady Kim Keon Hee's jail sentence to four years, reversing a lower court's acquittal on stock manipulation charges and upholding convictions for bribery (accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church in exchange for expected political favors) and illegal support for a 2022 by-election candidate, while clearing her of some election law violations. Her lawyers plan to appeal to the Supreme Court; her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol—who received a life sentence after being impeached over a 2024 martial law attempt—had repeatedly vetoed investigations into her misconduct while in office.