Former head of the Unification Church in South Korea, Jeon Seong-bae, is set to be indicted by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki’s team on charges of aggravated bribery and violations of political funding laws. Jeon, who is currently in custody, is accused of receiving luxury gifts worth approximately 82.39 million won between April and July 2022 from Yoon Young-ho, a former head of the Unification Church’s global operations, in exchange for passing on requests related to the church’s interests to Kim Keon-hee, the spouse of a prominent political figure. These requests included support for projects such as the establishment of a fifth UN office in Korea and the DMZ Peace Park.
Jeon is also alleged to have received over 100 million won under the guise of prayer fees from influential figures seeking political favors related to local elections and is suspected of attempting to influence the People’s Power Party’s convention by recruiting Unification Church members as party members to support Kwon Seong-dong’s candidacy for party leadership.
While Jeon had initially denied all charges, it has been reported that he admitted to some of the allegations during recent investigations. The special prosecutor’s team also plans to expedite their investigation of Han Hak-ja, the president of the Unification Church, who has been summoned for further questioning. Despite health-related excuses for absence, she has been asked to appear on the 11th of this month.