Kim Keon Hee [Yonhap]
Kim Keon Hee [Yonhap]

Kim Keon Hee, sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of receiving expensive gifts in exchange for brokering various favors, has appealed the ruling.

Her legal team filed an appeal Tuesday with Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 21, presided over by Chief Judge Jo Sun-pyo, which handled the first-instance trial on charges of aggravated bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

The appeal contends that the first-instance ruling contains errors in the recognition of facts and misapplication of law, and that the sentence is excessively harsh.

On June 26, the court found Kim guilty on all charges, ruling that she had received jewelry and other valuables in exchange for brokering personnel and business-interest favors around the time the Yoon Suk Yeol administration took office.

Specifically, the court found that between March 15 and May 20, 2022, Kim received jewelry worth a total of 103.8 million won ($67,000) — including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a Tiffany & Co. brooch and Graff earrings — from Lee Bong-gwan, chairman of Seohee Construction, along with a request for a personnel favor involving his eldest son-in-law.

The court also accepted as fact charges that she received a Vacheron Constantin wristwatch worth 39.9 million won from a robotics entrepreneur surnamed Seo in September of the same year, along with a request for business support, and that she received a Dior bag and other items worth a total of 5.4 million won from Pastor Choi Jae-young between June and September of that year, along with requests related to civil servants' duties.

The court further found her guilty of receiving a gold turtle figurine and a replica of the painting "Sehando" worth 2.65 million won from former National Education Commission Chairwoman Lee Bae-yong on April 26, 2022, along with a request for her appointment. She was also found guilty of receiving a painting by artist Lee Woo-hwan worth 140 million won from former senior prosecutor Kim Sang-min in around February of the following year, along with a request related to a party primary nomination.

The ruling stated that Kim "went beyond merely being aware of the requests and actively expressed interest, responding favorably to them."

It also noted that Kim appeared to have been involved in the actual fulfillment of Chairman Lee Bong-gwan's personnel request regarding his eldest son-in-law.

Following the sentencing, Kim's defense team said the court had "overstated the circumstances unfavorable to Kim" and indicated it would appeal after a close review of the written ruling.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com