South Korea Supreme Court Postpones Sentencing in Kim Keon-hee Case

The Supreme Court of South Korea has delayed the sentencing for Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, in a high-profile case involving alleged stock manipulation and bribery. The decision, originally slated for July 16, 2026, has been rescheduled to July 24.

The delay was prompted by a request from the special prosecutor's team. They argued for the postponement to incorporate findings from a recent first-instance court ruling. This ruling found former President Yoon guilty of receiving free public opinion polls, a charge that carries implications for Kim Keon-hee's own case.

Kim Keon-hee faces multiple charges, including allegations of conspiring with former Deutsch Motors chairman Kwon Oh-soo from October 2010 to December 2012 to profit approximately 811 million won through stock price manipulation. She is also accused of receiving gifts, such as a diamond necklace and Chanel bags worth around 80 million won, from the Unification Church between April and July 2022, in collusion with 'Geonjin Beopsa' Jeon Seong-bae.

Furthermore, Kim is alleged to have received approximately 270 million won worth of free presidential election polls from political broker Myung Tae-gyun. While Kim was acquitted of receiving free polls in lower courts, the recent ruling against former President Yoon on the same charge, which found an "implicit agreement" regarding the free provision of polls, could influence the Supreme Court's decision.