Kim Keon Hee’s ‘Unification Church Bribery’ Appeal Reassigned to Corruption Panel

Financial News reported that the appellate panel hearing the case of First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for receiving valuables such as a Chanel bag from the Unification Church side, has been changed.
Legal circles said on the 23rd that the Seoul High Court has now assigned Kim’s case, which includes charges such as violation of the Political Funds Act, to Criminal Division 15-2 (Judges Shin Jong-o, Sung Eon-joo, and Won Ik-seon).
This division is in charge of corruption cases. Kim’s appeal had initially been assigned to the 13th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court. After it was confirmed that Judge Yoo Dong-gyun of that division had personal ties with Attorney Chae Myung-sung, Kim’s defense counsel, the Seoul High Court reassigned the case to Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul High Court. However, when Criminal Division 1 was later designated as the court in charge of insurrection cases, Kim’s case was reassigned once again.
At the first trial, the court found Kim guilty only in the Unification Church-related case among the three allegations she faced: the “Deutsche Motors stock manipulation” case (violation of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act), the “Myung Tae-gyun nomination interference” case (violation of the Political Funds Act), and the “Unification Church bribery” case (bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes). The court sentenced her to one year and eight months in prison on the Unification Church charge.
Afterward, both the Special Counsel Team for Kim Keon Hee, led by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki, and Kim’s side filed appeals, sending the case to the appellate court for a second judgment.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter