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Seoul Court Hands Six‑Year Prison Term to Shaman Jeon, Sends Unification Church Leader Back to Jail

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  • Han Hak-ja (in wheelchair), leader of the Unification Church, appears at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital in this file photo taken Sept. 22, 2025, to attend a hearing on the legality of her arrest over charges of bribery linked to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. (Yonhap)
    Han Hak-ja (in wheelchair), leader of the Unification Church, appears at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital in this file photo taken Sept. 22, 2025, to attend a hearing on the legality of her arrest over charges of bribery linked to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Han Hak-ja (in wheelchair), leader of the Unification Church, appears at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital in this file photo taken Sept. 22, 2025, to attend a hearing on the legality of her arrest over charges of bribery linked to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Jeon Seong-bae (R), a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee (Yonhap)
    Jeon Seong-bae (R), a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Jeon Seong-bae (R), a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • Jeon Seong-bae (R), a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee (Yonhap)
    Jeon Seong-bae (R), a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Jeon Seong-bae (R), a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee (Yonhap) Source Full size

Court Issues Six-Year Prison Term to Shaman Jeon The Seoul Central District Court sentenced shaman Jeon Seong‑bae, known as Geonjin, to six years in prison on Feb. 24, 2026, and ordered forfeiture of 180 million won (≈US$125,000) [1]. The judgment follows a special counsel indictment for violating the Political Funds Act and a law prohibiting bribe acceptance for mediation [1]. Jeon’s sentence exceeds the prosecution’s original five‑year recommendation, reflecting the court’s view of the seriousness of the offenses [1].

Bribery Scheme Linked to Unification Church and Former First Lady Investigators found Jeon accepted goods worth 80 million won from a former Unification Church official in 2022, along with a request to support the church, constituting the core bribery offense [1]. He also received a 30 million‑won adviser fee and additional business goods valued at 200 million won for mediation work between 2022 and 2025 [1]. The court noted Jeon’s collaboration with former first lady Kim Keon Hee, linking the shaman’s illicit activities to her network [1].

Partial Acquittal Removes Provincial Candidate Bribery Charge The court acquitted Jeon of a charge alleging bribes from a provincial councilmember candidate, determining that the recipient was not politically active under the law [1]. This partial acquittal narrows the scope of his convictions but does not affect the primary bribery findings [1]. The decision underscores the legal requirement that bribery statutes apply only to political actors [1].

Han Hak‑ja Returned to Detention After Release Denied On Feb. 22, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court denied Unification Church leader Han Hak‑ja’s request to extend a temporary release and ordered her back into detention [2]. The temporary release, granted on Feb. 11, had been based on health concerns after Han suffered a fall and required medical treatment [2]. This marks her second short‑term release since her September arrest, the first having allowed eye‑surgery in November [2].

Charges Against Han Center on Luxury Gifts to Kim Keon Hee Han faces indictment by the same special counsel team that charged Jeon, accusing her of gifting a luxury necklace and a Chanel bag to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, violations of the political fund law, and other offenses [2]. Prosecutors argue the gifts represent misuse of political funds to benefit Kim, reflecting broader scrutiny of patronage networks in South Korea [2]. Han’s case highlights the Unification Church’s entanglement in high‑profile political corruption investigations [2].

Sources

Timeline

Dec 1, 2025 – The Seoul Central District Court opens the trial of Unification Church leader Han Hak‑ja on bribery charges involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee and MP Kweon Seong‑dong, with prosecutors alleging a luxury necklace, Chanel bags and a 100 million‑won transfer, while Han’s lawyers argue the case rests solely on testimony from former church official Yun Young‑ho [29][30].

Dec 8, 2025 – Former Unification Church official Yun Young‑ho testifies that the church provided support to Democratic Party politicians ahead of the 2022 presidential election, claiming tens of millions of won were given to DP lawmakers and that the group backed 15 DP politicians through donations and book purchases [28].

Dec 9, 2025 – Special counsel Min Joong‑ki’s team transfers its preliminary probe of Unification Church‑DP ties to the National Police Agency, citing concerns over selective investigation and the looming statute of limitations on 2018‑2020 payments [27].

Dec 10, 2025 – President Lee Jae Myung orders a “stern” probe into alleged illegal ties between politics and religious groups, demanding equal scrutiny of all parties and warning that systematic interference may violate the constitution [24].

Dec 14, 2025 – Police raid the Unification Church’s Seoul headquarters and later name leader Han Hak‑ja as a bribery suspect linked to politicians from both ruling and opposition parties, seizing accounting records and searching lawmakers’ homes [23][22].

Dec 16, 2025 – Police plan to question Han Hak‑ja at the Seoul Detention Center about alleged bribes to former Oceans Minister Chun Jae‑soo and others, while also transferring a bias‑complaint case against special counsel Min Joong‑ki to the Corruption Investigation Office for High‑ranking Officials [21][20].

Dec 17, 2025 – Prosecutors summon former Oceans Minister Chun Jae‑soo for questioning on a 2018 alleged 20 million‑won cash and Bulgari watch bribe, and the special counsel seeks a four‑year prison term for Rep. Kweon Seong‑dong for accepting 100 million won from the Unification Church [18][19].

Dec 18, 2025 – Former chief of staff to Han Hak‑ja, Jeong Won‑ju, appears for questioning as a witness in the bribery probe, while police continue raids on Han’s residence and the church’s headquarters [17].

Dec 19, 2025 – Former Oceans Minister Chun Jae‑soo is questioned at Seodaemun police station, denying receipt of illegal cash and a watch, as investigators link the gifts to a proposed Korea‑Japan undersea tunnel project [16].

Dec 21, 2025 – The Democratic Party (DP) announces it will back a special‑counsel probe into Unification Church bribery allegations, urging a cross‑party investigation into collusion, illegal donations and influence‑peddling [15].

Dec 22, 2025 – Both the DP and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) shift to support an independent or special counsel to investigate Unification Church ties, citing broad public backing (62 % in a Gallup poll) and the need to examine links to former President Yoon Suk‑yeol [13][14].

Dec 24, 2025 – Police raid Bulgari Korea’s office seeking records on a luxury watch allegedly given to former Oceans Minister Chun Jae‑soo by the Unification Church, after earlier searches failed to locate the watch [12].

Dec 30, 2025 – Police transfer Unification Church leader Han Hak‑ja to the prosecution for illegal political donations, moving the case from inquiry to formal charges [11].

Jan 6, 2026 – The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office launches a joint prosecution‑police investigation team, led by Kim Tae‑hoon, to probe bribery involving the Unification Church, Shincheonji and politicians, following the expiration of special‑counsel Min Joong‑ki’s mandate [9][10].

Jan 13, 2026 – Pastor Jeon Kwang‑hoon appears at the Seoul Western District Court for an arrest‑warrant hearing on charges of instigating the Jan 19 2025 courthouse riot, denying all accusations while 141 people remain indicted in the case [8].

Jan 15, 2026 – A joint prosecution‑police probe widens as former Unification Church official Yun Young‑ho is questioned at Seoul Detention Center, with investigators seizing servers and phones from the church’s Gapyeong headquarters [7].

Jan 28, 2026 – The Seoul Central District Court sentences PPP lawmaker Kweon Seong‑dong to two years in prison for accepting 100 million won from the Unification Church in 2022, with the court emphasizing that “legislators must act according to conscience and prioritize the national interest” [5].

Jan 28, 2026 – Former Unification Church official Yun Young‑ho receives a 14‑month prison term for embezzlement and illegal political‑fund violations tied to luxury gifts for former first lady Kim Keon Hee and undisclosed payments to PPP lawmakers [6].

Jan 30, 2026 – Prosecutors and police raid Shincheonji’s headquarters in Gwacheon and its Gapyeong training center, seizing data on alleged “Pilates” projects that pressured followers to join the People Power Party (PPP) during the 2021 presidential primary [4].

Feb 11, 2026 – A Seoul court suspends Han Hak‑ja’s detention for health reasons, granting temporary release so she can stand trial without confinement and receive treatment after a recent fall [2].

Feb 22, 2026 – The Seoul Central District Court denies Han Hak‑ja’s request to extend her temporary release and returns her to detention, marking her second release since her September arrest [2].

Feb 24, 2026 – Shaman Jeon Seong‑bae (Geonjin) receives a six‑year prison sentence for accepting bribes tied to the Unification Church, including 80 million won in goods in 2022 and additional payments, with the court noting his collusion with former first lady Kim Keon Hee [1].

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