The Seoul High Court Branch 15-2 has set February 28 as the date for the verdict in the second trial concerning Kim Keon-hee’s alleged receipt of funds from the Unification Church. In the first trial, the court imposed a one-year-and-eight-month probation sentence on Kim.
Case Consolidation and Trial Proceedings
During a special bench review on the 11th, the court examined violations related to the Public Official Act, bribe acceptance, and embezzlement suspicions tied to public offerings. It decided to open a combined trial for Kim’s single charge of public office embezzlement.
Trial records confirm the admissibility and calculation of evidence. Prosecutors presented input from young investigators, but the court identified calculation errors and deemed the evidence entry excessive. No actual damage occurred to company funds or other entities, so Kim did not appear in court.
Special Prosecutor Investigation
The special prosecutor’s probe into election law violations during the presidential campaign, including public offerings, excluded certain documents and public relations calculations. To protect national interests amid suspicions of Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, it sought an injunction on company relationship assessments.
The special prosecutor also requested a postponement statement from Kim. She responded that the non-prosecution decision equates to acquittal, allowing her to exercise freedom of expression.
Japan’s prosecution office made similar requests regarding Deutsche Motors fraud damage calculations and statements from company executives viewed by the special prosecutor. For the public offering embezzlement charge, it structurally explained the company president’s statement.
“First, the company clarified the reason for the public offering and structurally explained the company president’s statement,” the special prosecutor noted.
Court Schedule and Additional Details
The court conducted hearings on the 25th and February 8 before scheduling the February 28 sentencing. However, proceedings revealed additional facts about the involved company.
Kim’s prior involvement includes a settlement for fraud damages exceeding 8.1 billion won at Deutsche Motors from October 2010 to December 2012. She also received 2.7 billion won in settlements related to a Yonjo priest during the 58th presidential election committee under Yoon Seok-yeol. In 2022, during the presidential campaign, suspicions arose over receiving 80 million won in Chanel bags and other gifts from the Unification Church.
In the first trial, out of three charges, only one violation led to the one-year-eight-month probation and a 12.81 million won fine.
