Special counsel demands 15-yr prison term for S. Korea's ex-first lady on corruption charges

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team made the request during the final hearing of Kim's trial at the Seoul Central District Court, after indicting her in August on charges of violating the Capital Market Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation.

The wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol is accused of conspiring with a former head of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, as well as a close associate, to manipulate the company's stock price and make 810 million won (US$552,670) in illegal profits between 2010 and 2012.

Kim is also accused of receiving luxury gifts worth 80 million won from a Unification Church official in 2022, along with requests for business favors, through a shaman.

For those charges, the special counsel team requested 11 years in prison, a fine of 2 billion won and a forfeit of some 811 million won.

Additionally, she is suspected of receiving free opinion polls worth 270 million won together with her husband from a self-proclaimed power broker ahead of the presidential election in 2022 in exchange for securing the nomination of former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun for a parliamentary by-election later that year.

The special counsel team demanded a four-year prison term, as well as a forfeit of 137 million won, for that charge.

The court said the sentencing hearing will be held on Jan. 28.

Kim has been held in custody since Aug. 12.

Her husband is also jailed and being tried on insurrection charges over his failed attempt to impose martial law last December.

Previously, Qazinform reported ex-Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denied allegations of interfering in a Marine death probe.