Geonjin Beopsa: "President Yoon's Election Owed to the Unification Church... Kim Keon Hee Also Accepted This"

[Financial News] Geonjin Beopsa, Jeon Sung-bae, who has been indicted on charges of delivering money and valuables to Kim Keon Hee and lobbying on behalf of the Unification Church, was revealed to have said that "Yoon Suk Yeol's election as president was thanks to the Unification Church."
On the 9th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 33 (Presiding Judge Lee Jin-kwan) held a trial for Jeon, who was detained and charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and the Political Funds Act.
During the trial, a recorded call from March 30, 2022, after the 20th presidential election, between Jeon and a Unification Church executive named Lee was played. Jeon remarked, "(Yoon's side) received grace from the Unification Church," adding, "I said that the favor must be repaid, and Mrs. Kim Keon Hee fully understood." He further emphasized, "Didn’t they receive grace? Didn’t they make him president? That gratitude must not be forgotten." This suggests that Jeon was implying the need for compensation to the Unification Church for its support in the election.
When Lee asked, "What do you think will happen with the Prime Minister?" Jeon replied, "Honestly, I don't really get involved in personnel matters," but added, "As I’ve said repeatedly, whether it’s the Prime Minister or anyone else, they all end up being connected to me." This was also revealed in the call recording.
A call between former Unification Church World Headquarters Chief Young Ho Yun and Lee was also disclosed. Previously, on the 5th, Yun stated during his own trial that before the 20th presidential election, he had attempted to make contact not only with the People Power Party but also with the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), referencing this recording.
Yun explained that in February 2022, ahead of the Unification Church’s 'Summit for Peace on the Korean Peninsula,' he told Lee, "To work with the ruling party, I previously approached Minister Lee and two places," and added, "For Jeong Jin-sang or those below him, it was a video conference. If it’s someone like Hillary Clinton, that might be possible. Mark Zuckerberg is avoiding it."
Chanel bags and shoes, which were previously presented as evidence at Kim Keon Hee’s trial last month, were shown again. At the court’s request, the special prosecutor team displayed a Chanel bag, shoes, and a Graff necklace obtained from Jeon. The judges, wearing white gloves, inspected each item in turn.
Meanwhile, Kyeong-ok Yu, a former presidential office administrator who was scheduled to testify, did not appear. The court imposed a fine of 1 million won and issued a warrant for her. The spouse of the CEO of the interior company 21 Gram, identified as Jo, also failed to appear and received the same penalty. Both submitted absence notes citing depression and anxiety, stating they were unable to testify properly.
The court had planned to question them about the process of delivering and exchanging a Chanel bag received from the Unification Church to Kim Keon Hee. The court noted, "In the case of former administrator Yu, there have been changes in her statements. In such cases, it is necessary to summon her to court." The court further explained, "If the summons is delayed, the trial may be postponed, making it difficult to deliver a verdict within the six-month period required by the special prosecutor law."
theknight@fnnews.com Reporter Jeong Kyung-soo Reporter