Yoon Young-ho to Face Verdict in First Unification Church-Linked Bribery Trial

The first-instance trial of Yoon Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters and a key figure in the church's alleged influence-peddling scandal, will conclude its arguments Thursday.

According to legal sources, the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Woo In-sung) will hold the final hearing for Yoon, who was indicted and detained on charges including professional embezzlement, starting at 4 p.m.

The closing procedures will proceed in the following order: the special counsel's final opinion and sentencing recommendation, followed by the defense's closing argument and the defendant's final statement. If the first-instance trial concludes arguments Thursday, it will be the first to be completed among the Unification Church-related cases indicted by the special counsel. Considering that sentencing typically takes one to two months after closing arguments, a verdict is expected as early as mid-January next year.

Yoon was indicted on charges of delivering gifts through Jeon Seong-bae, a Buddhist monk known as "Geonjin Beopsa," to first lady Kim Keon-hee between April and August 2022 with the purpose of soliciting favors related to Unification Church matters. The gifts allegedly included two Chanel bags worth approximately 20 million won ($14,000), a British Graff diamond necklace valued at over 60 million won, and concentrated wild ginseng tea.

He is also accused of giving 100 million won in illegal political funds to People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Sung-dong in January 2022. Additional charges include purchasing expensive jewelry under the orders of Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han and having the church reimburse him for the costs.

Yoon's defense team acknowledges that gifts were delivered through Jeon but maintains they cannot confirm whether the items actually reached the first lady.

During his defendant examination at a previous hearing, Yoon stated that he attempted to contact not only the People Power Party but also the Democratic Party. The Unification Church was found to have arranged a meeting between Yoon Suk-yeol, then the People Power Party's presidential candidate, and former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the church's "Korean Peninsula Peace Summit" event in 2022.

"From 2017 to 2021, we were closer to the Democratic Party than the People Power Party," Yoon said. "Ahead of the event, I approached four current cabinet-level ministers, and two of them even visited Leader Han."