'Alleged Mass Membership by Unification Church'—Kim Keon Hee and Hak Ja Han's Pretrial Hearing Postponed, Set to Begin Next January

[Financial News] The trial for Kim Keon Hee, who was additionally indicted over allegations that Unification Church members joined the People Power Party en masse, has been postponed to January next year due to procedural issues.
On the 9th, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 27 (Presiding Judge Insung Woo) postponed the first pretrial hearing for Kim Keon Hee, who is charged with violating the Political Parties Act, as well as for Hak Ja Han, President of the Unification Church, former worldwide headquarters chief Young Ho Yun, and Jeon Sung-bae, also known as Geonjin Bopsa.
The first pretrial hearing was initially scheduled for this day, but was delayed due to the defense’s late review and copying of case records.
The court has rescheduled the hearing for January 14 next year.
They are accused of orchestrating the mass admission of Unification Church members into the People Power Party ahead of the March 8, 2023 party leadership election to help a specific candidate win the party leadership. The special prosecutor suspects that in November 2022, Kim Keon Hee requested Jeon and Yun to recruit church members as party members. It is alleged that Kim Keon Hee, in collusion with Jeon, promised government-level support and proportional representation nominations for Unification Church officials in exchange for the mass membership drive, aiming to secure victory for a candidate supported by former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Hak Ja Han, Yun, and Jeong are accused of accepting Kim Keon Hee’s plan and conspiring to forcibly enroll church members.

theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter