South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for bribery.
The Seoul Central District Court found that the 53-year-old had exploited her status as the president's wife to accept luxury gifts and cash amounting to the equivalent of several hundred thousand dollars.
Kim is said to have received a painting by the artist Lee Ufan, a designer handbag and the equivalent of around $200,000 in cash.
Kim announced through her lawyer that she would appeal against the first-instance verdict, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Friday.
Kim Keon Hee is the wife of the conservative former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to life imprisonment earlier this year for incitement.
In December 2024, he unexpectedly declared martial law - ostensibly to protect South Korea's liberal order from an opposition hostile to the state.
Judges later found however that the 65-year-old had deliberately sought to undermine the constitution to secure his political power.
