The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday sentenced Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party to a two-year prison term and ordered the forfeiture of 100 million won ($70,000) for receiving illicit political funds from a Unification Church official in 2022.
"Despite being a lawmaker who should prioritize national interest and act on behalf of his conscience, the defendant undermined public trust and abandoned his constitutional duties by receiving 100 million won from the Unification Church," sitting judge Woo In-sung said in the verdict.
The case stems from a broader special counsel corruption investigation into alleged links between the Unification Church and senior political figures, including former first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The special counsel had sought a four-year prison term and a forfeiture order, accusing Kweon of illegally receiving bribes from Yun Young-ho, a senior Unification Church official, during the campaign period ahead of the 2022 presidential election.
The funds were provided with the expectation that Kweon would relay the church’s policy interests to then-presidential candidate Yoon.
In a separate ruling earlier in the day, church official Yun was sentenced to a year and two months in prison for embezzling church funds to support lawmakers.
Addressing the defense’s argument that the case fell outside the special counsel’s investigative mandate, the court said it was within the special counsel's jurisdiction because Yun had met with Kweon to request that he approach the former President.
"It is rationally related to Kim Keon Hee's Improper Solicitation and Graft Act violation case," the court said.
Sitting lawmakers who receive prison sentences are stripped of their seats. If he does not appeal, Kweon will be forced out of the National Assembly and barred from running for office for the next 10 years.
Kweon is a five-term lawmaker and a former floor leader of the People Power Party. He was arrested in October.
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