The 15-year sentence requested by prosecutors at the Seoul High Court is the same as what they sought in the first trial.
In the first ruling, delivered in January, the former first lady was sentenced to just 20 months in prison for accepting bribes including a luxury handbag and high-end jewelry worth about 80 million Korean won (US$60,000) from a dubious religious leader and shaman as well as secretive religious sect Unification Church, better known as the Moonies.
But the court dismissed other charges that she was allegedly involved in a stock manipulation scheme and in interfering with candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections.
Prosecutors argued that the initial sentence was too light, given the severity of her misconduct, which caused "grave social shock."
They also pointed out that Kim "undermined the securities market for personal gain" and warned that leniency could threaten the integrity of the financial system and harm ordinary investors.
During the final hearing before sentencing at the court in southern Seoul, Kim opted to remain silent and declined to answer any questions from prosecutors.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.