The appellate court ruling for first lady Kim Keon-hee, who is accused of receiving money and valuables from the Unification Church, stock manipulation involving Deutsch Motors, and receiving a free public opinion poll from Myung Tae-gyun, will be held on the 28th.
The Criminal Division 15-2 of the Seoul High Court (High Court Judges Shin Jong-o, Sung Eon-joo, and Won Ik-seon) will hold the sentencing hearing at 3 p.m. that day for Kim on charges including violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act and accepting brokerage fees under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
Kim is accused of receiving a Graf diamond necklace worth 62 million won and two Chanel bags worth a total of 20 million won from Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters, between April and July 2022 in return for a request for support for the church. The special counsel says the items were delivered to Kim through Geonjin, whose real name is Jeon Seong-bae.
Kim is also accused of participating in Deutsch Motors stock manipulation from October 2010 to December 2012 and reaping unjust profits of about 810 million won, and of conspiring with former President Yoon Suk-yeol from June 2021 to March 2022 to receive public opinion poll results worth about 270 million won from Myung Tae-gyun (a violation of the Political Funds Act).
At the closing arguments held on the 8th, special counsel Min Joong-ki's team sought a 15-year prison term for Kim, the same as in the first trial.
The key issue in the hearing that day is whether Kim's responsibility for Deutsch Motors stock manipulation will be recognized to some extent.
In the first trial, the court found Kim guilty only in part on the charge of receiving money and valuables from the Unification Church, acquitted her of Deutsch Motors stock manipulation and receiving public opinion polls, and sentenced her to one year and eight months in prison.
At the time, the court explained its acquittal on Kim's stock manipulation charge by noting that while it was possible Kim recognized price rigging, she did not appear to be a "co-principal" in a conspiratorial relationship with the stock manipulation ring.
In response, in the second trial the special counsel amended the indictment to add an accessory charge against Kim as an alternative. Since she was acquitted as an "accomplice" in the first trial, the request is to punish her as an "aider and abettor."
The hearing will be broadcast live, as in the first trial.