The special counsel team investigating First Lady Kim Keon-hee appealed on Thursday against the first-instance verdict that sentenced People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Sung-dong to two years in prison for allegedly receiving 100 million won ($72,000) in illegal political funds from the Unification Church. The team also appealed the ruling against Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church's world headquarters, who was sentenced to prison for delivering the money to Kwon.
The special counsel filed appeals with the Seoul Central District Court's 27th Criminal Division, which presided over both cases.
The court had sentenced Kwon on January 28 to two years in prison and ordered forfeiture of 100 million won on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. Kwon allegedly received the money from Yoon on January 5, 2022, ahead of the 20th presidential election, along with requests for the incoming Yoon Suk Yeol administration to support the church. The court found that after receiving the money, Kwon connected Yoon Young-ho with then-President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol and personally attended Unification Church events, thereby partially fulfilling the requests.
On the same day, the court sentenced Yoon Young-ho to one year and two months in prison on charges including embezzlement, violation of the Political Funds Act, destruction of evidence, and violation of the anti-graft law.
Yoon Young-ho was found guilty of giving 100 million won in illegal political funds to Kwon, delivering a Chanel bag and Graff necklace to First Lady Kim in July 2022, and embezzling church funds to purchase the bag and necklace. However, the court dismissed charges related to deleting and manipulating accounting program data after obtaining police investigation information about Unification Church executives' gambling trips to the United States, ruling that this fell outside the special counsel's investigative authority.
Kwon's legal team filed an appeal immediately after the verdict, stating it was "unacceptable." Yoon Young-ho's side also submitted an appeal the same day.