The Seoul court handling the case found that Kim Gon Hee conspired with a shaman named Kyeongjin Beopsa, which allowed her to receive bribes in the form of expensive gifts from April to July 2022 in exchange for her services.
Additionally, she was accused of manipulating stocks related to Deutsch Motors, the Korean representative of BMW. According to the prosecution, Kim conspired with the former chairman of the company to obtain 810 million won (about $559,500). However, she was acquitted of this charge.
In December 2025, prosecutors, led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-sok, requested 11 years of imprisonment for the former first lady, as well as a fine of 2 billion won and the confiscation of 810 million won for stock manipulation and "influence peddling."
Kim was also accused of conspiring with her husband to receive free public opinion polling services worth about 270 million won ($1.4 million) from June 2021 to March 2022 from Men Tae-kyun, who became her political ally. However, she was acquitted in this case as well, although she faced penalties and the confiscation of 130 million won ($91,400).
Kim Gon Hee was arrested in August 2025, with a key element of the case being a diamond pendant received from the Unification Church. According to the South China Morning Post, she evaded responsibility for over five years despite numerous accusations, thanks to her status as first lady.
The scandal surrounding her began during her husband's presidency when she was suspected of receiving a gift—a Dior bag. Under South Korean anti-corruption laws, officials and their spouses are prohibited from accepting gifts worth more than 1 million won ($703.2) or a total of more than 3 million won ($2,100) within a single financial year.
