South Korea's former first lady sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The wife of South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption Wednesday, as her husband awaits a verdict on a high-stakes rebellion charge that could result in the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The presidential couple, who have been jailed separately for months, suffered a spectacular fall from grace after Yoon’s martial law debacle in December 2024 led to his impeachment and eventually his removal from office. Yoon was handed a five-year prison term this month for defying authorities’ attempts to detain him and other charges related to the martial law decree.

Investigators say Kim was not involved in Yoon's martial law enforcement.

On Wednesday, Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim for receiving luxury gifts like a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church in return for promises of political favors.

“Being closest to a president, a first lady can exert significant influence on him and is a symbolic figure who represents the country together with a president,” the court said in a televised verdict. “But the defendant exploited her position to seek personal gains.”

Kim said via her lawyers that she would “humbly accept” the court's view and “apologizes again to everyone for causing concerns."

The 20-month sentence was a surprise after independent counsel Min Joong-ki called for a 15-year prison term for Kim on three charges including stock price manipulation, political funding law violations and accepting bribes. The court acquitted Kim of two other charges, citing a lack of evidence and other reasons.

Min's team responded that it cannot accept the ruling and will appeal to a higher court. The governing liberal Democratic Party, which led Yoon's ouster, slammed the verdict as sending a wrong signal that “abuse of power like Kim Keon Hee's can be tolerated.”

Kim’s lawyer Choi Ji-woo said Min’s investigation was politically driven. He said Kim's defense team thanked the court for its verdict but said the 20-month prison term was “relatively high.” He said his team will discuss whether to appeal.

Kim has been in jail since August when the Seoul court approved a warrant to arrest her, citing the chance she might destroy evidence.

When Yoon was in office, Kim was embroiled in a slew of scandals that severely hurt the conservative leader's approval rating and provided relentless political ammunition to his rivals. The scandals included the three charges the court dealt with Wednesday.

Many observers speculated Yoon opted to place the country under a military rule to protect his wife from possible investigations. But after a six-month probe into Yoon’s decree, investigators led by another independent counsel, Cho Eun-suk, in December downplayed conjecture that Kim’s troubles drove Yoon to declare martial law.

Yoon plotted for over a year to declare martial law so he could eliminate his political opponents and monopolize power and there was also no evidence of Kim's involvement, Cho’s team said.

The ruling against Kim was made about three weeks before the court delivers its verdict on a rebellion charge against Yoon. Cho's team has demanded the death sentence for Yoon by viewing his martial law imposition as a rebellion.

A rebellion conviction carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. But a court could immediately commute the sentence. Experts say the court likely will sentence him to life or a lengthy imprisonment because South Korea has maintained a de-facto moratorium on executions since late 1997.

After a near-constant collision course with his liberal rivals, Yoon abruptly declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, vowing to eliminate “anti-state forces” and “shameless North Korea sympathizers.” He has defended his action, calling it a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the Democratic Party which obstructed his agenda.

Yoon sent troops and police officers to encircle the National Assembly. But many failed to aggressively cordon off the area as thousands of people gathered, calling for Yoon’s ouster. Lawmakers, including some from Yoon's own ruling party, entered an assembly hall and voted down his decree.

Yoon was later impeached by the National Assembly, arrested by prosecutors and formally thrown out of office after a Constitutional Court ruling.

FILE - Kim Keon Hee, center, the wife of South Korea's ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at the special prosecutor's office in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

FILE - Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea's jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives for her first trial hearing on corruption charges at a courtroom of the Seoul Central District Court on Sept. 24, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea.(Chung Sung-Jun/Pool Photo via AP, File)

A TV screen shows a file footage of Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A TV screen shows a live footage of Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol, second from right, wearing a mask, during a news program, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

FILE - South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors, in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 12, 2025. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

NEW DELHI (AP) — A private plane carrying a deputy chief minister crashed in an open field in western India on Wednesday, killing the official and four other people on board, aviation authorities said. There were no survivors.

The aircraft was en route from India’s financial capital of Mumbai to Ajit Pawar's home city Baramati when it crash-landed and burst into flames some 254 kilometers (159 miles) from Mumbai. The reason for the crash was not immediately known. Television footage showed smoke rising from the wreckage.

Pawar, 66, was the deputy chief minister of India’s western Maharashtra state. He was traveling to Baramati to campaign in a local election when the privately-operated aircraft went down.

Two of his staffs and two crew members on board the mid-size Learjet 45 also died, the directorate general of civil aviation said in an initial statement.

Pawar was a key figure in state politics and served as the second highest elected official in Maharashtra as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition in the state. He wielded considerable influence in the the state's sugar belt and was known for his ability to mobilize rural voters.

Modi expressed his condolences, calling Pawar a committed public servant.

“His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy,” Modi said on X. “His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers.”

Supporters of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar mourn at the Nationalist Congress Party office in Mumbai, India after he was killed when a private plane carrying him crashed in western India on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Supporters of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar pay homage near his photograph at the Nationalist Congress Party office in Mumbai, India after he was killed when a private plane carrying him crashed in western India on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

FILE -Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, right stands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, centre and during the swearing-in ceremony of the Maharashtra government held in Mumbai, India, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)