A South Korean court on Wednesday sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to 20 months in prison for corruption, while acquitting her of alleged stock manipulation and other charges.

Judge Woo In-sung of the Seoul Central District Court found Kim guilty of corruption linked to receiving expensive gifts, but cleared her of stock manipulation and violations of campaign finance laws.

Controversy has long surrounded the 53-year-old former first lady, with allegations of corruption, influence peddling, and academic fraud casting a shadow over the presidency of her husband, former president Yoon Suk Yeol.

Kim was accused of accepting bribes worth more than $200,000 from businesses and politicians, including luxury items such as Chanel bags and a Graff necklace allegedly given by the leader of the Unification Church.

She sat quietly in court as the sentence was read, dressed in a black suit, white face mask, and glasses.

Prosecutors earlier accused Kim of abusing her position, saying she had “stood above the law” and colluded with the Unification Church to undermine “the constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”.

Prosecutor Min Joong-ki added that state institutions were “severely undermined by abuses of power” committed by Kim.

In her final testimony last month, Kim denied all allegations, calling them “deeply unjust,” but she also apologized for “causing trouble despite being a person of no importance”.

“When I consider my role and the responsibilities entrusted to me, it seems clear that I have made many mistakes,” she said in December.

Kim’s scandals, including the widely publicized “Dior bag scandal,” frequently overshadowed Yoon’s presidency and contributed to his party’s defeat in the April 2024 elections.