FILE PHOTO: South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea August 12, 2025. JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
SEOUL, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A South Korean district court is set to deliver on Wednesday its ruling in the trial of Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, who could face a jail term if found guilty on charges that include bribery.
The ruling, which can be appealed by the former first lady or prosecutors, comes in a series of trials following investigations into Yoon's brief imposition of martial law in 2024 and related scandals involving the once-powerful couple.
Prosecutors demanded 15 years in jail and fines of 2.9 billion won ($2 million) over accusations that include accepting luxury Chanel bags and a diamond necklace from South Korea's Unification Church in return for political favours.
Other charges to be decided by the Seoul central district court include manipulation of stock prices and violations of political funding laws, by receiving opinion polls from a power broker in return for influencing the choice of poll candidates.
Kim "took advantage of the status of the president's spouse to receive money and expensive valuables, and has been widely involved in various personnel appointments and nominations," special prosecutor Min Joong-ki said in December.
Kim had denied all the charges.
The Unification Church said the gifts were delivered to her without expecting anything. Its leader Han Hak-ja, who is also on trial, has denied that she directed it to bribe Kim.
Yoon, who was ousted from power last April, also faces eight trials on charges including insurrection, after his failed bid to impose martial law in December 2024.
He has appealed against a five-year jail term handed to him this month for obstructing attempts to arrest him after his martial law decree.
($1=1,431.8000 won)
(Reporting by Joyce Lee and Kyu-seok Shim; Editing by Ed Davies and Clarence Fernandez)
