The first-trial sentencing hearing for first lady Kim Keon-hee, who was indicted over allegations including Deutsch Motors stock manipulation, receiving valuables related to the Unification Church, and being provided opinion polls for free, will be broadcast live.
The Criminal Agreement Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court (presiding judge Woo In-seong) said on the 27th that it approved broadcasters' requests to air live the sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 28, 2026, at 2:10 p.m. It said the courtroom proceedings on the day of sentencing will be filmed with the court's own equipment and transmitted to broadcasters in real time, but the feed may be delayed due to technical circumstances.
Kim was brought to trial on charges of participating in Deutsch Motors stock manipulation from October 2010 to December 2012 and obtaining about 811.44 million won in illicit gains.
In addition, she was charged with conspiring with former President Yoon Suk-yeol from June 2021 to March 2022 to receive, free of charge, the results of opinion polls valued at about 270 million won on 58 occasions from Myung Tae-gyun, and with receiving valuables worth about 80 million won—including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag—in connection with requests from the Unification Church side together with "Geonjin" Jeon Seong-bae from April to July 2022.
At the previous closing argument hearing, the special counsel team on Kim Keon-hee sought, by charge, 11 years in prison, a fine of 2 billion won, and the forfeiture of 811.44 million won for violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act and bribery by brokerage, and 4 years in prison and the forfeiture of 137.2 million won for violations of the Political Funds Act.