(C) Malay Mail

Seoul, South Korea — The special prosecution team has demanded a 15-year prison sentence and a ₩2 billion (approximately $1.5 million USD) fine for First Lady Kim Keon-hee on charges including stock manipulation, election interference, and receiving bribes. The First Lady, who is currently detained, expressed remorse in her final statement, saying she was "sincerely sorry for causing great concern to the public."

 
Sentencing Request and Charges

The request was made by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki's team on December 3rd during the final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court before Criminal Division 27 (Presiding Judge Woo In-sung). The First Lady faces multiple charges, including violations of the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (for mediation/solicitation).

The special prosecution determined that Mrs. Kim was deeply involved with stock manipulation forces in the market manipulation of Deutsch Motors shares.

Capital Market Act Violation (Deutsch Motors Stock Manipulation): The prosecution demanded 11 years in prison, a ₩2 billion fine, and ₩811.44 million (approximately $624,000 USD) in forfeiture. Mrs. Kim is accused of participating in the stock manipulation scheme from October 2010 to December 2012, acquiring illicit gains worth approximately ₩810 million (about $623,000 USD).
Aggravated Punishment Act (Mediation/Solicitation): The prosecution demanded an additional 4 years in prison and ₩137.2 million (approximately $105,000 USD) in forfeiture.
The combined sentence requested is 15 years in prison. The verdict is scheduled for January 28th of next year.

 
Prosecution’s Rationale for Severe Penalty

The special prosecution team delivered a scathing assessment of Mrs. Kim’s alleged actions, arguing they severely undermined the state's governing system and constitutional principles.

"All accomplices in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation crime have stood before the court, yet the defendant [Mrs. Kim] was the sole exception," the prosecution stated. They further accused her of:

Undermining Constitutional Values: "Colluding with a religious organization and shattering the constitutional principle of separation of religion and state."
Systemic Collapse: "Collapsing the national governance system, including the fairness of elections—the foundation of democracy—and the principle of representative democracy."
The prosecution cited the gravity of the offenses, the infringement upon constitutional values, the complete denial of the charges, and the lack of any sign of remorse as reasons for requesting the severe sentence.

 
Further Allegations of Corruption

In addition to the Deutsch Motors case, Mrs. Kim faces several other serious corruption allegations detailed in the indictment:

Election Interference: Between June 2021 and March 2022, she is accused of conspiring with then-President Yoon Suk-yeol to receive the results of 58 public opinion polls valued at ₩270 million (approximately $208,000 USD) from political broker Myeong Tae-gyun.
Bribery and Solicitation (Unification Church): Between April and July 2022, she is accused of conspiring with Buddhist monk Jeon Seong-bae (a.k.a. Geonjinbeopsa) to receive luxury goods—including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel handbag—totaling approximately ₩80 million (about $61,500 USD) from an official of the Unification Church. The transfer of these items was allegedly in exchange for favors and support for the religious organization.
First Lady Kim Keon-hee was formally detained and indicted on August 29th on these collective charges.

 
First Lady's Final Statement

Appearing in court, Mrs. Kim offered her final statement, bowing her head as she apologized to the nation. "I am sincerely sorry for causing great concern to the public," she stated. Her defense team has maintained her innocence throughout the trial, arguing she was merely an investor and not an active participant in the stock price manipulation or any of the alleged corruption schemes.

The case has drawn immense public and political scrutiny, given the unprecedented nature of a sitting First Lady being indicted and facing such a high-profile criminal trial. The impending verdict in January is anticipated to be a defining moment in South Korean political history.

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