Shaman in ‘Kim Keon Hee Cash Delivery’ Case Sentenced to 6 Years in First Trial: “I Did Not Confess Out of Remorse”

According to The Financial News, Jeon Seong-bae, the shaman known as Geonjin Beopsa, who was indicted on charges including delivering money and valuables to First Lady Kim Keon Hee and lobbying on pending issues of the Unification Church, has been sentenced to a prison term in his first trial.
On the 24th, Criminal Division 33 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Jin-gwan, sentenced Jeon to six years in prison. The court also ordered him to forfeit 187.86 million won and confiscated a Graff necklace, after he was indicted and detained on charges of receiving brokerage fees under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes and violating the Political Funds Act. The Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Team, led by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki, had requested a five-year prison term, so the court imposed a heavier sentence than the prosecution’s recommendation.
The court first found Jeon guilty on all counts related to delivering money and valuables to Kim and lobbying on issues involving the Unification Church. It accepted that he received luxury items worth about 80 million won from Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church World Mission Headquarters, including a Chanel bag, Cheonsusam concentrated tea, and a Graff necklace, and delivered them to Kim.
During the same period, Jeon also demanded a position as an “advisor to the Unification Group” in return for his lobbying and brokerage, and received 30 million won from former headquarters chief Yoon. The court found this part of the indictment to be guilty as well. It further recognized all charges that, from July 2022 to January last year, he received money from companies such as Heerim Architects & Planners and Contents LAB Company under the pretext of handling their requests.
However, the court acquitted Jeon of violating the Political Funds Act in relation to receiving 100 million won in so-called nomination donations from Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council member Park Chang-uk ahead of the 8th nationwide local elections in 2022. The court reasoned that the Political Funds Act applies to “persons engaged in politics,” and Jeon does not fall under that category. Therefore, the 100 million won delivered by Park could not be regarded as funds for Jeon’s political activities, the court explained.
“The defendant, as a religious figure, formed personal ties with high-ranking public officials, including President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee, and received money and valuables while engaging in brokerage activities,” the court criticized. “He did more than simple brokerage; he managed high-ranking public officials and even assisted Yoon in the party primary during the presidential election to increase his own influence,” it added.
The court went on to say, “The defendant’s brokerage activities were not limited to supporting private companies that sought favorable treatment in tax and administrative cases by mobilizing high-ranking public officials. They extended to supporting religious organizations as well,” concluding that “he deserves to be severely punished.”
In particular, the court stated, “Through his brokerage activities related to the Unification Church, a result of collusion between state power and religion arose among President Yoon Suk Yeol, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, and the Unification Church,” and rebuked that “this runs counter to the constitutional principle of separation of church and state in the Republic of Korea.”
The court also noted, “Although the defendant partially confessed to matters addressed early in the investigation, this was not out of remorse but merely an attempt to evade criminal responsibility,” adding, “This cannot be considered a favorable factor when determining the sentence.”
The court further pointed out that, “During the investigation, the defendant denied the offenses, claiming that no money or valuables had been delivered, which caused a prolonged investigation to determine whether the Chanel bag and other items were in fact delivered to Kim through the defendant.” It held that even his act of submitting key evidence such as the Chanel bag during trial could not be treated as a mitigating factor.
Following the court’s earlier finding that Kim was guilty of receiving money and valuables from Jeon, Jeon has now also been convicted. President of the Unification Church Hak Ja Han, former headquarters chief Yoon, and other Unification Church officials are currently on trial. Since both “recipient of the money and valuables” Kim and “deliverer of the money and valuables” Jeon have been found guilty, legal experts predict a high likelihood that Unification Church officials will also be convicted. However, controversy is expected because, among the charges against Kim, the so‐called “first Chanel bag” resulted in an acquittal for her, while the same incident was deemed a crime in Jeon’s case.
theknight@fnnews.com Jeong Kyung-soo Reporter