Kim Gunhee, Kwon Seongdong, and Yoon Youngho to Receive First Trial Verdict on January 28

Kim Gunhee, former Unification Church World Headquarters Director Yoon Youngho, and Representative Kwon Seongdong of the People Power Party, who are all implicated in allegations of lobbying on Unification Church issues as well as receiving money and political funds, will receive their first trial verdict on January 28 of next year.

Mrs. Kim Gunhee and Representative Kwon Seongdong of the People Power Party are each undergoing criminal trials at the Seoul Central District Court.

According to the legal community on December 17, the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Woo Inseong) will hold the sentencing hearing for Mrs. Kim's case, which involves violations of the Capital Markets Act and Political Funds Act, as well as charges of receiving bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, at 2:10 p.m. on January 28.

At 3:00 p.m., sentencing hearings will follow for former Director Yoon Youngho, who is accused of providing money to Mrs. Kim and systematically supporting People Power Party lawmakers, and for Representative Kwon Seongdong, who is accused of receiving 100 million won in political funds from Yoon along with lobbying requests regarding Unification Church issues. All three, who were indicted by Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team in connection with Unification Church-related allegations, will face their 'day of fate' at the same time.

Previously, Mrs. Kim was indicted and detained on August 29 on charges of participating in the manipulation of Deutsche Motors stock from October 2010 to December 2012, obtaining illicit gains worth 810 million won. She is also accused of conspiring with former President Yoon Sukyeol from June 2021 to March 2022 to receive the results of 58 opinion polls worth 270 million won from Myung Taegyun, and of conspiring with Jeon Seongbae, also known as Geonjin Bopsa, from April to July 2022 to receive lobbying requests for Unification Church support as well as valuables including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag, totaling 80 million won, from a Unification Church affiliate.

At the sentencing recommendation hearing on December 3, the special prosecutor's team requested the court to sentence Mrs. Kim to 11 years in prison, a fine of 2 billion won, and forfeiture of 811.44 million won for the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation and Unification Church bribery charges, and to 4 years in prison and forfeiture of 137.2 million won for receiving opinion poll results from Mr. Myung.

Former Director Yoon was indicted on August 18 on charges of providing Mrs. Kim with a Graff diamond necklace, a Chanel bag, and other valuables in 2022. The special prosecutor believes he provided these items to facilitate Unification Church interests, including support for the Mekong River development project in Cambodia, acquisition of YTN, hosting the United Nations Fifth Secretariat Office in Korea, and invitations to the presidential inauguration. At the sentencing recommendation hearing on December 10, the special prosecutor's team requested a total sentence of 4 years in prison (2 years for violating the Political Funds Act and 2 years for embezzlement and violations of the Anti-Graft Act).

Representative Kwon was indicted on October 2 on charges of receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds from former Director Yoon in January 2022, along with lobbying requests to pursue Unification Church interests as national policy in exchange for providing church members' votes and organizational support in the 20th presidential election if former President Yoon was elected.

On that day, the special prosecutor's team stated that Representative Kwon "colluded with a specific religious organization, undermining constitutional values and betraying public trust," and requested the court to sentence him to 4 years in prison and forfeiture of 100 million won. In his final statement, Representative Kwon pleaded not guilty, saying, "I never received 100 million won. I feel a pain as if my heart is being pierced."