Suspected of Receiving Illegal Political Funds During the 2018 Local Elections
Allegedly Accepted Around 100 Million Won as Prayer Fees
Controversy Over "Unofficial Influence" Due to Ties with President Yoon Seok-yeol
The prosecution has indicted Jeon Seong-bae (64), known as 'Geonjin Beopsa,' without detention on suspicion of 'nomination bribery.'
The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Virtual Asset Crime Joint Investigation Team (Head Park Geon-wook) indicted Jeon without detention on the 10th for violating the Political Funds Act by receiving illegal political funds related to party candidate nominations during the 2018 local elections. A prosecution official stated, "Due to the statute of limitations approaching, it was unavoidable to indict without detention." The statute of limitations for Jeon's charges is seven years.
According to the prosecution, Jeon is suspected of receiving illegal political funds amounting to around 100 million won under the pretext of prayer fees from a prospective candidate who ran in the primary for the Liberty Korea Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) candidate for Mayor of Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk, ahead of the 7th nationwide simultaneous local elections in 2018. Accordingly, the prosecution arrested Jeon on the 17th of last month and requested an arrest warrant on the 18th, but the court dismissed it on the 19th of the same month, citing unclear timing, scale, and method of the illegal political fund receipt.
Subsequently, the prosecution re-summoned Jeon on the 26th of last month for supplementary investigation and re-requested an arrest warrant on the 6th. However, the court again dismissed the warrant, stating that "there is room for legal debate on whether a person who is not a politician can be considered a principal offender of violating the Political Funds Act solely by receiving political funds under the pretext of delivering them to another politician, regardless of their own political activities."
Meanwhile, Jeon is known to have exerted influence in President Yoon's presidential campaign. A video showing him patting President Yoon's shoulder was also released in 2022. It was also revealed that he received a consultant business card from 'Kobana Contents,' operated by First Lady Kim Geon-hee. This led to a 'non-official influence' controversy. During a recent warrant hearing, Jeon did not respond to reporters' questions asking, "What is your relationship with President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Geon-hee?"
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