Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon-hee has appeared in court for her first hearing in a corruption trial involving bribery and stock manipulation.
With her face partially covered with a mask and wearing her inmate number, 4398, Kim, 53, was brought to the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday from detention, where she had been held since August 12.
During an identity check from the bench, Kim told the court she was currently “unemployed” and did not want a jury trial.
Kim becomes the first spouse of a former president to stand trial after she was accused of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act and a law on the acceptance of bribes for mediation.
The former first lady’s charge under the Capital Markets Act is related to claims that she conspired with the