Supreme Court Refers Kim Keon-hee Case, Postpones Sentencing

The Korean Supreme Court has postponed the sentencing of Kim Geon-hee, the wife of current President Yoon Suk Yeol, to refer her corruption case to a full bench amid charges that include stock manipulation tied to Deutsche Motors, receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church, and getting free polling results from Myung Tae-kyun. The referral to the full bench comes after conflicting lower court rulings over the polling charges, with Kim being acquitted in earlier rulings while her husband faced a partial guilty verdict on the same issue. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is also involved in related polling allegations and was found guilty in a separate case related to Myung Tae-kyun. Full bench referrals are typically triggered when a four-judge panel’s ruling is deemed inappropriate or when there is internal disagreement, and the new step has pushed sentencing to an undetermined date. The proceedings have been repeatedly delayed, with the latest postponement marking another stage in a case that has seen mixed verdicts across different charges. The decision to move to a grand bench indicates the court will seek a unified ruling on the interconnected charges as the case continues to unfold.