Seoul: An appeals court on Thursday reduced the prison sentence for a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee from six years to five years over charges of accepting bribes from the Unification Church.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul High Court handed down the reduced term to Jeon Seong-bae, better known as Geonjin, for accepting 80 million won (US$53,000) worth of luxury goods from a former Unification Church official in 2022. Jeon was found guilty of colluding with Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and other offenses.

In February, the Seoul Central District Court had sentenced Jeon to six years in prison for accepting the bribes and had ordered him to forfeit 180 million won. The appeals court upheld Jeon's guilt on most charges, including the acceptance of a Graff diamond necklace and Chanel bags in collusion with the former first lady, and maintained the forfeiture amount.

The court noted that the Chanel bags gifted to Kim were "not simple bags but compensation for an implicit favor." Nonetheless, the court decided to reduce Jeon's prison term due to his admission to some charges during the trial and his voluntary submission of key evidence to a special counsel team.