▲ This file photo, provided by the Seoul Central District Court on April 13, 2026, shows former first lady Kim Keon Hee attending former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae's insurrection trial as a witness at the court in southern Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- An appellate court on Tuesday reduced former first lady Kim Keon Hee's sentence to five years in prison during her bribery trial on charges of taking expensive gifts in return for job appointments.

The Seoul High Court partially overturned a lower court's seven-year sentence for Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, acquitting her of some of the charges brought by special counsel Min Joong-ki.

Kim's legal team called the partial acquittal "meaningful" but indicated it would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. The special counsel team said it would review the ruling before taking it to the top court.

Min's team earlier indicted Kim on charges of receiving jewelry worth a total of over 100 million won (US$72,800) from a construction company chairman between March and May 2022 in exchange for a government job for his son-in-law.

Yoon, Kim's husband, took office in May 2022 following his presidential election victory in March that year.

She was also charged with receiving a golden turtle ornament and a replica of a Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) painting from Lee Bae-yong, former head of the National Education Commission in April 2022, in return for her appointment; a Dior bag from a pastor the same year; and a Vacheron Constantin watch from another businessperson in September 2022.

She was additionally accused of receiving a painting by renowned artist Lee Ufan from a former prosecutor in February 2023 in exchange for her help in securing him a nomination for an election.

While the lower court convicted her on all counts in June, the appellate court acquitted her of charges of receiving the luxury watch and the replica painting.

The appeals court found her guilty for the rest of the charges, ordering the confiscation of the Lee Ufan painting and other gifts, and forfeiture of 24.4 million won. The lower court had ordered Kim to forfeit 64.8 million won.

"The influence of the president's spouse was reduced to a subject of private transactions, while the transparency and fairness of state affairs as well as the public's trust in state policies and personnel appointments were severely damaged," the court said.

It reprimanded Kim for "repeatedly" accepting valuables even though she should have been "fully aware" the gift givers expected her to exercise her influence as the president's spouse.

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