Seoul, Sep 24, 2025

Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at the first hearing of her corruption trial Wednesday, dressed in a black suit and wearing her inmate number on her chest, as the court allowed filming by the press.

Kim’s trial began at the Seoul Central District Court after she was brought from a detention centre in southwestern Seoul, where she has been held in custody since August 12.

With her face partially covered with a mask and her hair tied back in a ponytail, Kim stepped into the dock and responded to an identity check from the bench.

“I am unemployed,” she said. Her birthday, she said, was September 2, 1972, and she did not wish for a jury trial.

Her inmate number, “4398,” was displayed on a badge on her chest, and photos and videos were permitted for

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