Top court finalizes 18-month sentence for church official who gave gifts to former first lady

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an 18-month prison sentence for Yun Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church's global headquarters, for giving luxury gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in an effort to win favors for the church.

Because the decision confirms that he handed over the gifts to secure favors, the ruling could weigh on the separate case of Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, which is now before the Supreme Court.

The courts found that Yun gave Kim a Graff diamond necklace worth 62.2 million won ($41,000) and a Chanel handbag in 2022.

Yun passed the items to her through Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman known as Geon Jin. In return, the Unification Church sought government support for a development project on Cambodia's Mekong River, the acquisition of the broadcaster YTN and invitations to Yoon's presidential inauguration, the special counsel found.

Yun was also convicted of giving 100 million won to Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the main opposition People Power Party, a close ally of the president, to arrange an introduction when Yoon was president-elect, a violation of the Political Funds Act. The court cited as key evidence a page from Yun's diary reading "Rep. Kweon Seong-dong lunch (63 Building) - big one, one bill, support," which it took to mean the 100 million won. It dismissed a separate charge that Yun ordered the destruction of evidence after being contacted about a police investigation into illegal overseas gambling by Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, finding that the conduct fell outside the scope of the special counsel established by a parliamentary bill to investigate the case.

A district court sentenced Yun to 14 months in January after convicting him of the gift and political-funds charges and of embezzling church money to buy the items. An appeals court raised the term to 18 months in April and added a conviction on an embezzlement count the lower court had partly dismissed. The Supreme Court rejected his final appeal and found no error in the lower courts' interpretation of the antigraft law and ruling on the handling of church funds.

Kim was convicted in her own appeal in April. The Seoul High Court found her guilty of stock manipulation involving Deutsch Motors and of accepting the gifts, and sentenced her to four years in prison. It acquitted her on a charge tied to free polling services. Both Kim and the special counsel have appealed to the Supreme Court, as Korean law permits the prosecution to appeal a ruling or sentence.

Under the special counsel law on her case, a final ruling must come within three months of the appeal, so a verdict is expected this month.

BY JO SU-BIN [[email protected]]