Seoul: The Supreme Court has confirmed the prison sentences for shaman Jeon Seong-bae and former Unification Church official Yun Young-ho, in a bribery case associated with former first lady Kim Keon Hee.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Supreme Court upheld a previous court's ruling, sentencing Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geonjin, to five years in prison and ordering a forfeit of 180 million won (approximately US$120,000). Yun Young-ho, who previously led the church's global headquarters, received a prison term of 1 1/2 years.

Jeon was charged with accepting goods valued at around 80 million won from Yun in 2022, in exchange for support for the church, violating the Political Funds Act and anti-bribery laws. He was alleged to have conspired in these actions with Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yun faced charges for delivering luxurious gifts, including a diamond necklace and a Chanel bag, to Kim via Jeon in 2022, in hopes of securing governmental support on church-related issues. Additionally, he was accused of providing illegal political funds to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong and other politicians from 2021 to 2024, seeking cooperation for church events.

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the guilty verdicts for Jeon and Yun is anticipated to influence the appeals of Kim and Kweon. Both were previously sentenced to four and two years in prison, respectively, for accepting illicit money and valuables from Yun and have since appealed to the Supreme Court.