Seoul: Former first lady Kim Keon Hee attended the first hearing of her corruption trial on Wednesday, appearing in a black suit with her inmate number prominently displayed, as the court permitted press filming. Kim's trial commenced at the Seoul Central District Court after her transfer from a detention center in southwestern Seoul, where she has been in custody since August 12.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, with her face partially obscured by a mask and her hair tied in a ponytail, stood in the dock and confirmed her identity to the court. She stated, "I am unemployed," and confirmed her birth date as September 2, 1972, while opting against a jury trial. Her inmate number "4398" was visible on her chest, and the media was allowed to take photos and videos for a brief period before the proceedings began.
Kim is notably the first spouse of a former president to face trial in South Korea, while her husband, the ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, is simultaneously being tried on charges related to an attempted imposition of martial law in December. Kim faces accusations of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and a bribery mediation law.
The charges against her include allegations of conspiring with the former head of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, and an associate to manipulate the company's stock price, resulting in illegal profits of 810 million won (approximately US$581,000) between 2010 and 2012. Additionally, she is accused of receiving free opinion polls valued at 270 million won from a power broker in exchange for securing a party nomination during the 2022 presidential election. Lastly, she allegedly accepted luxury gifts worth 80 million won from a Unification Church official via a shaman, with implied requests for favors.
The special counsel team has requested the freezing of all her assets pending the trial's outcome.