The first trial for first lady Kim Keon-hee and Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, who were additionally indicted by special prosecutors for allegedly interfering in the ruling party's leadership election, has been postponed due to procedural issues.
The 27th Criminal Division of Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Woo In-sung) rescheduled the first pretrial hearing for Kim, Han, former Unification Church World Headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho, former Unification Church chief of staff Chung Won-joo, and Buddhist monk Jeon Seong-bae to 2:20 p.m. on January 14 next year.
The court had originally planned to hold the first hearing at 10:50 a.m. on the same day. However, the date was inevitably pushed back as defense attorneys' procedures for reviewing and copying case records were delayed.
Kim and the others are accused of orchestrating mass enrollment of Unification Church members into the People Power Party ahead of the party's leadership election on March 8, 2023, in order to elect a candidate supported by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and themselves. In return, they allegedly promised proportional representation seats to the Unification Church. The special counsel investigating Kim Keon-hee (Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki) additionally indicted them on the 7th of last month.
