From jewellery to handbag - South Korea first lady accused of taking bribes over $200,000
South Korea's former first lady was alleged by prosecutors Monday to have accepted lavish bribes totalling over $200,000, including fine art, jewellery and a handbag, as well as meddling in state affairs. They alleged that bribes from businesses and politicians received by Kim totalled up to 377.25 million won ($263,000).
South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee is accused of accepting bribes worth more than $200,000 and illegally intervening in state affairs, prosecutors said on Monday as they concluded their investigation into the case. Kim, the wife of disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested in August and is under investigation for alleged stock manipulation, receiving gifts from the Unification Church and meddling in parliamentary elections. Announcing the findings, chief prosecutor Min Joong-ki said South Korea’s institutions were “severely undermined by abuses of power” by Kim. Another prosecutor, Kim Hyung-geun, alleged that Kim had “illegally intervened in state affairs behind the scenes, beyond the public's view”. According to investigators, bribes allegedly received by Kim from businesses and politicians totalled up to 377.25 million won, or about $263,000. Prosecutors said the gifts included two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace from the leader of the Unification Church, along with luxury jewellery, a painting by renowned South Korean minimalist artist Lee Ufan, a Dior handbag and a wristwatch. Former president Yoon denied knowledge of the transactions when questioned by investigators, “a claim that many find difficult to accept”, prosecutor Kim Hyung-geun said.
Earlier this month, prosecutors sought a 15-year prison term for Kim, arguing that she had “stood above the law” and colluded with the Unification Church to undermine the “constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”. They also asked the court to impose a fine of two billion won, or about $1.4 million. Kim has denied all charges. In her final testimony, she described the allegations as “deeply unjust”. “Yet when I consider my role and the responsibilities entrusted to me, it seems clear that I have made many mistakes,” she said. The case comes amid wider political turmoil in South Korea following Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law last December in an attempt to suspend civilian rule. He was later removed from office and arrested this year on insurrection charges, which he denies, marking the first time a former South Korean president and his wife have both been detained. A Seoul court is scheduled to deliver its verdict and sentence Kim on January 28.