{
  "id": 17194343,
  "title": "Court acquits PPP lawmaker over luxury gift to ex-first lady",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/court-acquits-ppp-lawmaker-over-luxury-gift-to-ex-first-lady-17194343",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T07:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20261030/court-acquits-ppp-lawmaker-over-luxury-gift-to-ex-first-lady"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Seoul district court delivered a verdict on Friday, acquitting a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) of corruption charges related to a lavish gift presented to the ex-first lady. The court ruled Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon innocent of breaching the anti-graft law over a Roger Vivier handbag his spouse presented to then first lady Kim Keon Hee in March 2023. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had requested a one-year prison term for the legislator, alleging the couple gifted the 2.67 million won ($2,000) bag in exchange for her backing during his election campaign for PPP leadership earlier that month. However, the court found him not guilty.\n\nThe court, on the other hand, convicted Kim Gi-hyeon's wife of the charges, imposing a fine of 5 million won upon her. The prosecution had sought a six-month prison sentence for the lawmaker's spouse. The court dismissed arguments by Kim's wife that the clutch bag was merely a customary present, deeming it a violation of the anti-graft law due to her former status. It also rejected the special counsel team's claim that the couple conspired to commit the offense.",
  "summary": "A Seoul district court on Friday acquitted a lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) of anti-graft charges over a luxury bag gifted to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Seoul Central District Court found Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon not guilty of violating the anti-graft law over the Roger Vivier clutch bag his wife gave to the then first lady, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, in…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "(URGENT) Court acquits Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon of PPP over luxury gift to ex-first lady",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/urgent-court-acquits-rep-kim-gi-hyeon-of-ppp-over-luxury-gift-to-ex",
        "published": "2026-10-30T05:59:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}