Kim Keon Hee's "Government Appointment and Favor-Selling" Case Assigned to Supreme Court Division 2; Justice Oh Kyung-mi to Preside
Seven-year prison sentence at first trial... "Five years" on appeal
The panel and presiding justice who will hear the appeal in the case involving allegations that First Lady Kim Keon Hee sold government appointments and favors were decided on Oct. 22. On the same day, the Supreme Court’s full bench will also hear the case involving allegations that Kim accepted opinion polls from Myung Tae-kyun.
The Supreme Court assigned the case against Kim, who is accused of mediation and bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, to Division 2 on Oct. 22. The division consists of Supreme Court Justices Oh Kyung-mi, Kwon Young-joon, Park Young-jae and Kim Seong-su. Justice Oh will preside over the case.
The case examines five allegations that Kim sold government appointments and favors. She is accused of accepting jewelry worth a total of 103.8 million won from Lee Bong-kwan, chairman of Seohee Construction, in exchange for a request to secure an appointment for her eldest son-in-law; accepting a wristwatch worth 39.9 million won from businessman Seo Seong-bin in exchange for a request for business support; receiving a painting worth 140 million won from former senior prosecutor Kim Sang-min in exchange for a request for a nomination; accepting a gold turtle worth 2.65 million won and a replica of “Sehan-do” from Lee Bae-yong, former chair of the National Education Commission, in exchange for a request for an appointment; and receiving Dior bags and other items worth a total of 5.4 million won from Pastor Choi Jae-young in exchange for requests related to her official duties.
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The first trial found her guilty on all charges and sentenced her to seven years in prison. The appeals court overturned the convictions related to the Vacheron Constantin watch received from Seo and the “Sehan-do” replica received from former chair Lee, ruling that they could not be considered in exchange for favors. It also reduced her sentence to five years in prison.
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