The special prosecutor team led by Min Joong-gi, which has been investigating allegations that Unification Church members collectively infiltrated the People Power Party (PPP), announced on the 7th that Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yoel, and Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, among others, have been indicted on charges of violating the Political Parties Act.
According to the announcement, the special counsel additionally indicted Kim Keon-hee, Han Hak-ja, shamanistic adviser Jeon Seong-bae (known as “Gun-jin Beopsa”), former Unification Church world headquarters director Yoon, and former presidential secretary Jung.
The investigation centered on suspicions that the Unification Church mobilized its followers to join the PPP en masse before the March 2023 party leadership election to support a specific candidate for party chair. The prosecution concluded that in November 2022, Kim Keon-hee asked Yoon—through Jeon—to have Unification Church followers join the party. Forcing individuals to join a political party against their will constitutes a violation of the Political Parties Act.
The special counsel determined that Kim Keon-hee and Jeon conspired to ensure the election of a candidate favorable to then-President Yoon Suk-yeol, and in return for the Unification Church’s assistance, promised government support and proportional representation nominations for church-affiliated figures in future elections. Han Hak-ja, Jung, and Yoon allegedly agreed to this plan and collaborated in organizing forced party memberships among followers.
Previously, on August 29, Kim Keon-hee was arrested and indicted on multiple charges, including violations of the Capital Markets Act (in connection with the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case), violations of the Political Funds Act (interference in candidate nominations), and bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (related to lobbying by Jeon and the Unification Church).
Han Hak-ja and Yoon, accused of seeking a “religion–government collusion” through Kim, were also indicted and remain in custody. Han was previously indicted on October 10 for conspiring with Yoon to deliver 100 million KRW in political funds to PPP lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong in January 2022, requesting state support for the Unification Church.
Other charges include funneling 144 million KRW in Unification Church funds to PPP lawmakers through illegal split donations between April and July 2022, and bribing Kim Keon-hee with a luxury necklace and Chanel bag via Jeon to influence government policy favorable to the church. However, Jung, identified as Han’s co-conspirator in some of these acts, was indicted without detention on the same day.
Posted by Freewhale98
2 Comments
Yoon’s entire plan with all of this was insane.
Lmao this saga has been so insane that it makes K-dramas and their romances seem relatively tame in comparison.