Kim Gunhee's First Verdict Directly Linked to Yoon's Trial... Sentencing for Kwon Seongdong and Yoon Youngho Also Scheduled

‘Super Sentencing Day’ Tomorrow
Kim: Stock Manipulation and Political Funds Act Violations
Linked to Yoon’s Political Funds Act Case
‘Unification Church Solicitation’
Yoon Youngho and Kwon Seongdong
Sentencing Scheduled One Hour Apart

The first criminal verdict against former president's spouse Kim Gunhee will be delivered on January 28. This marks the judiciary's initial ruling on Kim Gunhee, who has been indicted on charges of soliciting favors related to Unification Church issues as well as receiving bribes and illegal political funds. On the same day, verdicts are also scheduled for key figures implicated in the alleged collusion between the Unification Church and political circles, including Kwon Seongdong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, and Yoon Youngho, former global director of the Unification Church. In addition, Kim Gunhee's case is intertwined with the criminal trial of former President Yoon on charges of violating the Political Funds Act involving Myung Taegyun. If Kim is found guilty, the likelihood of former President Yoon, who is effectively named as an accomplice, also being convicted increases significantly.

According to the legal community on January 27, the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Woo Inseong) will hold a sentencing hearing at 2:10 p.m. on January 28 for Kim Gunhee on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and accepting bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. This will be the first judicial conclusion among the three criminal cases against Kim Gunhee prosecuted by Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team.

Kim Gunhee was indicted last August on charges of participating in the stock manipulation of Deutsche Motors from October 2010 to December 2012, gaining approximately 810 million won in illicit profits. She also faces charges of receiving the results of public opinion polls free of charge from Myung Taegyun 58 times before and after the 2022 presidential election, amounting to about 274 million won. Furthermore, between April and July 2022, she is accused of conspiring with so-called "Geonjin Beopsa" Jeon Seongbae to receive a Graff diamond necklace, a Chanel bag, and other valuables worth about 80 million won from a Unification Church official, along with requests to influence church-related issues.

At last month's sentencing hearing, the special prosecutor's team requested a sentence of 11 years in prison, a fine of 2 billion won, and the forfeiture of 811.44 million won for the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation and Unification Church bribery charges. For the violation of the Political Funds Act involving the provision of public opinion poll results by Myung Taegyun, they requested a sentence of 4 years in prison and the forfeiture of 137.2 million won.

The main issue in Kim Gunhee's first sentencing is whether there was a "prior agreement" to compensate for losses during the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation. If this is recognized, it greatly increases the likelihood that Kim will be judged as an accomplice in the stock manipulation. Other key issues include whether the public opinion polls provided free of charge constitute political funds and whether she actually received the Graff necklace from the Unification Church. While Kim's side has admitted to receiving the Chanel bag, they have consistently denied receiving the Graff necklace.

On the same day, at 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., sentencing hearings will also be held for Yoon Youngho, former global director of the Unification Church, and lawmaker Kwon Seongdong, both implicated in the Unification Church solicitation allegations. Yoon is accused of providing valuables to Kim Gunhee and systematically supporting People Power Party lawmakers on behalf of the Unification Church. Investigations found that he provided money and valuables to political and government figures to advance church-related issues such as the Mekong River development project in Cambodia, the acquisition of YTN, the bid to host the UN Fifth Secretariat in Korea, and invitations to the presidential inauguration.

Kwon Seongdong is accused of receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds from Yoon Youngho in January 2022 in exchange for securing votes and organized support from Unification Church members during the 20th presidential election, along with a request to promote church-related issues as national policy if the former president was elected. The special prosecutor's team has requested a sentence of 4 years in prison for both Yoon and Kwon.