Kim Keonhee Special Counsel Secures Receipt for Unification Church 'Diamond Necklace'

Unification Church States, "Receipt Was Voluntarily Submitted"

The Min Jungki Special Prosecutor's team, which is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee, has reportedly secured physical evidence related to a diamond necklace that the Unification Church is suspected of delivering to Mrs. Kim for lobbying purposes.

On the 18th, prosecutors are seen talking with employees at the Unification Church Seoul Headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the Min Jungki Special Prosecutor's team investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee conducted a search and seizure. Photo by Yonhap News

According to legal sources on the 22nd, the special prosecutor's team obtained a purchase receipt for the diamond necklace that Yoon, the global head of the Unification Church, is said to have delivered to Mrs. Kim through Jeon Seongbae, a Buddhist monk, during a lobbying process regarding church affairs. A Unification Church official stated, "The receipt was voluntarily submitted to the special prosecutor's team before the search and seizure on the 18th." However, the official emphasized that the necklace was not purchased with Unification Church funds.

The special prosecutor's team suspects that the Unification Church provided the necklace and a Chanel bag to Jeon for lobbying purposes. The Unification Church, however, claims that this was an individual deviation by Yoon and is distancing itself from the incident. In contrast, Yoon's side argues that the matter was carried out at the organizational level, presenting a conflicting stance. Yoon's side asserted, "There is no reason for the headquarters of a religious organization to keep the receipt for an expensive item purchased privately by an individual for an extended period of time."

It has been reported that neither the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which previously investigated the case, nor the current special prosecutor's team has secured the necklace and bag that were delivered to Jeon. The special prosecutor's team plans to continue searching for these gifts and to investigate whether Unification Church funds were used in the purchase process. On the 18th, the special prosecutor's team executed search and seizure warrants at more than 10 locations, including the Unification Church headquarters in Gapyeong and the Unification Church Korea Association headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.