The 5-year prison sentence was finalized for Geonjin, Jeon Seong-bae, who was brought to trial on charges of colluding with former President Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Keon-hee, to receive requests related to church pending issues from the Unification Church side and accept money and valuables.
The Supreme Court's 3rd Division (presiding Justice Noh Kyung-pil) on the 9th finalized the lower court ruling that sentenced Jeon, who was brought to trial on charges including receiving a brokerage bribe under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, as above.
Jeon was indicted by the Kim Keon-hee special counsel team (Special Counsel Min Joong-ki) on charges including conspiring with Kim to receive, from former Unification Church World Headquarters head Yoon Young-ho between April and July 2022, money and valuables worth a total of about 80 million won, including a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace, along with a request for church support.
The Kim Keon-hee special counsel team sought a 5-year prison term for Jeon, but the first trial handed down a 6-year sentence, heavier than the recommendation. The appeals court found most of Jeon's charges guilty but, considering that Jeon submitted evidence such as the Chanel bag, sentenced him to 5 years in prison.
In particular, the appeals court ruled that the Chanel bag presented in April 2022, just before former President Yoon took office, was "not a simple gift but the price of an implicit request."