Seoul: A special counsel team has demanded a four-year prison term for opposition lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong on charges of receiving illegal political funds from the Unification Church. Kweon, a member of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), is accused of accepting 100 million won (US$67,570) from a former church official in 2022. This was allegedly in exchange for aiding the church in securing policy favors following the presidential election of PPP candidate Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the former church official reportedly promised to rally church members' support for Yoon. Park Sang-jin, a member of special counsel Min Joong-ki's team, highlighted at the trial held at the Seoul Central District Court that Kweon, as a prominent National Assembly member, should have defended constitutional values and upheld public trust. However, he was accused of conspiring with a religious group to receive illegal political funds, thereby damaging those values and betraying public trust.
Park also accused Kweon of facilitating the church's influence over political circles to further its interests. He emphasized that Kweon had subordinated his role as a National Assembly member to private and religious interests and argued that the lawmaker deserved a severe sentence due to his attempts to destroy evidence and his unrepentant behavior throughout the investigation.
In addition to the prison sentence, the special counsel team requested that the court impose a forfeit of 100 million won on Kweon. Known as one of Yoon's close confidants, Kweon served as the PPP's floor leader until June and was placed under arrest by the special counsel team in September, followed by his indictment in October.
The sentencing hearing for the lawmaker is scheduled for Jan. 28, coinciding with the sentencing of former first lady Kim Keon Hee on stock manipulation charges and the unification church official on bribery charges. All three trials are being handled by the same criminal division of the Seoul Central District Court.