First Lady Kim Keon-hee's handwritten letter [Online capture]

A handwritten letter from First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who is imprisoned after receiving a prison sentence in the first trial for allegations of bribery from the Unification Church, has been released, expressing her gratitude to her supporters.

According to legal circles on the 12th, Ms. Kim recently wrote in a letter to a supporter, "This is Kim Keon-hee. After reading your letter, I thought there is still hope and that I have many friends."

She added, "It's almost 8 PM on a Sunday, and a couple of hours ago, I heard a loud roar and couldn't help but shed tears. I often want to wave my hand and communicate with those who cheer me on from outside, but the windows are all controlled, so there's nothing I can do."

She also said, "You play music for me and offer words of comfort despite the cold weather, so even if my body aches, I must find the strength."

She concluded by saying, "I truly love you," and reiterated her thanks, mentioning God, forgiveness, and comfort.

Ms. Kim was arrested and indicted by the special prosecutor's team led by Min Jung-gi in August of last year on charges of stock manipulation at Deutsch Motors, receiving public opinion poll data from Myung Tae-gyun, and receiving bribes from the Unification Church. On the 28th of last month, she was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison in the first trial.

The court acknowledged most of the charges related to receiving requests for church affairs from the Unification Church and high-value bribes through Jeon Seong-bae, known as Geonjin Beopsa, but ruled her not guilty on the remaining charges due to insufficient evidence.

Both Ms. Kim and the special prosecutor's team have filed an appeal.