Global Economic Times

Former Unification Church Leader Yun Young-ho Sentenced to 1 Year and 2 Months for Bribery and Illegal Solicitation: KO YONG-CHUL Reporter / Updated : 2026-01-29 08:16:54

SEOUL — Yun Young-ho, the former Director-General of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), has been sentenced to one year and two months in prison. He was charged with providing gifts and funds to First Lady Kim Keon-hee and Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party in exchange for favors related to church interests.

On January 28, the Seoul Central District Court found Yun guilty of violating the Political Funds Act, the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (Kim Young-ran Act), and professional embezzlement. Specifically, he received eight months for the political fund violation and six months for the other charges.

The court ruled that providing 100 million won to Rep. Kweon and gifting a Chanel bag and a Graff necklace to the First Lady in July 2022 constituted illegal acts. The court also confirmed that Yun embezzled church funds to purchase these luxury items. While the prosecution sought a four-year sentence, the court took into account that Yun cooperated with the investigation and had no prior criminal record.

The presiding judge stated, "The defendant utilized his influential position within the church to lead these crimes, undermining public trust in the fair execution of national policies and the integrity of democratic politics."