Oct 2010 – Dec 2012 – Prosecutors allege Kim Keon Hee conspires with a former Deutsch Motors executive to rig the company’s stock, earning about 810 million won in illegal profits, a scheme later cited in her corruption case [30][2].

July 2022 – Kim receives a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel handbag from a Unification Church official who seeks business favors for her husband’s administration; the court later values the necklace at 62.2 million won and the bag at 3 million won [1][9].

September 2022 – Spy‑camera footage captures a pastor handing Kim a grey‑blue Chanel bag worth 3 million won, exceeding South Korea’s gift‑limit for officials and spouses [2].

March 2023 – Opposition lawmaker Kim Gi‑hyeon becomes People Power Party chair; his wife later delivers a 2.6 million won Roger Vivier clutch to Kim Keon Hee, later cited in a bribery probe [20].

July 2025 – A special‑counsel team led by Min Joong‑ki launches a 180‑day investigation into Kim Keon Hee, focusing on alleged stock‑price manipulation, free opinion polls, and luxury gifts from the Unification Church [16][18].

Aug 6 2025 – Kim Keon Hee appears for questioning, becoming the first spouse of a former or sitting president to be formally questioned in a criminal probe [19].

Aug 2025 – Kim is arrested on multiple corruption charges, including bribery, stock‑price manipulation, and illegal political‑fund activities; she denies all accusations [2].

Aug 29 2025 – Prosecutors indict Kim on violations of the Capital Market Act, Political Funds Act, and bribery law, alleging she earned 810 million won from the stock scheme and accepted 80 million won in gifts from the Unification Church [19].

Dec 3 2025 – Kim’s corruption trial begins at the Seoul Central District Court, marking the first high‑profile trial of a former first lady in South Korea [13].

Dec 16 2025 – The special‑counsel team schedules a press conference to release its final results on the former first lady’s probe [19].

Dec 17 2025 – Special counsel raids Rep. Kim Gi‑hyeon’s home and National Assembly office, seizing the Roger Vivier clutch found at Kim Keon Hee’s residence [27].

Dec 22 2025 – Rep. Kim Gi‑hyeon is questioned about the luxury‑gift allegation; he acknowledges the delivery but calls it “social courtesy” [23].

Dec 26 2025 – Prosecutors indict Kim again for taking a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace (≈ 100 million won) and a gold turtle from Lee Bae‑yong in exchange for business favors; six others are also charged [21][22].

Dec 27 2025 – Opposition lawmaker Kim Gi‑hyeon and his wife are formally indicted for delivering the Roger Vivier clutch to Kim Keon Hee, alleged to be part of a bribery scheme [20].

Dec 28 2025 – The 180‑day probe officially ends, with 66 people—including Kim Keon Hee and former President Yoon Suk Yeol—indicted, and the team prepares to hand the bribery charge to police for further investigation [19][21].

Dec 29 2025 – Assistant special counsel Kim Hyong‑kun declares that Kim Keon Hee “engaged in a modern‑day sale of public offices” and “intervened in state affairs behind the curtains” [16][17].

Jan 16 2026 – Former President Yoon Suk Yeol receives a five‑year prison sentence for abuse of power, document falsification and obstruction of justice tied to his brief 2024 martial‑law declaration [1].

Jan 28 2026 – Seoul Central District Court convicts Kim Keon Hee of bribery, sentencing her to 20 months in prison, ordering forfeiture of 12.8 million won, and acquitting her of stock‑price manipulation and political‑fund violations; Judge Woo In‑sung notes she “did not solicit the bribes” and has “no significant criminal record” [1][11][13].

Jan 30 2026 – Special counsel Min Joong‑ki files an appeal, arguing the court “misapprehended the facts and imposed an unduly lenient sentence” on Kim Keon Hee [9].

Feb 2 2026 – Kim Keon Hee’s lawyers submit an appeal to overturn the 20‑month term and the 12.8 million won forfeiture, stating the goal is to “correct the facts and uncover the truth” [5][6][7][8].

Feb 5 2026 – Changwon District Court convicts political broker Myung Tae‑kyun of evidence‑concealment, sentencing him to a six‑month suspended term after finding he ordered his brother‑in‑law to hide phones and a USB drive during the probe [4].

Feb 13 2026 – A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Lee Jong‑ho, a close associate of Kim Keon Hee, who faces a four‑year prison term for accepting money to influence a stock‑manipulation case [29].

Future (post‑Feb 2026) – Special counsel plans to transfer the unresolved bribery charge against Kim Keon Hee to the police, with a stated intent that “all criminal proceeds will be confiscated” [21].