Court Approves Provisional Seizure of Kwon Seongdong’s Assets
Kim Sangmin, Former Prosecutor, Indicted and Detained for "Lee Ufan Painting Solicitation"
Ministry Official Also Sent to Trial over Yangpyeong Expressway Allegations
On October 2, the special prosecutor team led by Min Jungki, which is investigating various allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keonhee, indicted Kwon Seongdong, a member of the People Power Party, on charges of receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds from the Unification Church. Kwon has been referred to trial while in detention.
Kwon Seongdong, a member of the People Power Party, who has been indicted on charges of accepting illegal political funds, is seated at the plenary session of the National Assembly on September 9, 2025, where his arrest consent motion is being reported. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
The special prosecutor’s team announced that Kwon was indicted on this day under detention for violating the Political Funds Act.
Kwon was arrested on September 16 on suspicion of accepting 100 million won in illegal political funds from Yoon, then the global head of the Unification Church, ahead of the 2022 presidential election, in exchange for requests to resolve issues related to the church. The arrest warrant application for Kwon stated, "Political power and religious organizations colluded to manipulate state affairs, intervene in elections, and disrupt the judicial order."
The special prosecutor’s team also requested a provisional seizure of Kwon’s assets related to these charges, and the Seoul Central District Court granted the request on October 2. Illegal proceeds can be confiscated, and if confiscation is not possible, they are subject to collection. The provisional seizure of assets is a measure to prevent the disposal or arbitrary use of assets in advance, in preparation for possible confiscation or collection should a guilty verdict be delivered.
Additionally, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Sangmin, who was arrested on September 18 on charges of offering an expensive painting to First Lady Kim’s side in exchange for a nomination, was also indicted on the same day.
He is accused of delivering Lee Ufan’s painting, "From Point No. 800298," to First Lady Kim’s brother, Kim Jinwoo, in April last year, while soliciting a nomination for the general election. The arrest warrant for former prosecutor Kim specified First Lady Kim as the recipient of the painting.
Former prosecutor Kim also faces charges of accepting political funds. He is suspected of having election vehicle rental fees paid on his behalf by Park, known as "Jonberkim," while preparing to run in last year’s general election. Park is currently on trial for allegedly issuing and listing the scam coin "Podo" between February 2021 and April 2022, fraudulently obtaining 80.9 billion won.
The special prosecutor’s team, which has indicted former prosecutor Kim, is continuing its investigation into the bribery allegations against First Lady Kim, based on the premise that former President Yoon colluded in the matter.
On the same day, the special prosecutor’s team also indicted Kim, an official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, in detention in connection with suspicions of route changes for the Yangpyeong Expressway. Kim is accused of accepting 35 million won in cash and 1 million won in goods from a contractor between June 2023 and September 2024, during the process of selecting construction methods for road projects commissioned by the ministry.
Kim is considered a key figure in the allegations that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, in 2023, changed the endpoint of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project to land owned by First Lady Kim’s family, thereby granting them preferential treatment. Kim is reported to have proposed the route change to the contractor at the time.
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