Unification Church's Yoon Youngho Does Not Mention 'Democratic Party Bribery List' as Final Trial Concludes

Previously Stated He Was Considering Whether to Mention the List

The final trial of Yoon Youngho, former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters, who was indicted on charges of delivering luxury handbags, necklaces, and other valuables to First Lady Kim Keonhee, concluded without mentioning the list of Democratic Party lawmakers suspected of being involved in lobbying activities related to the church.

Yoon Youngho, former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters, attending court. Photo by Yonhap News

On December 10, during the final hearing held by the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (presided over by Judge Woo Inseong) on charges including violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, occupational embezzlement, and violations of the Political Funds Act, Yoon had previously indicated he was considering whether to mention the lobbying list. However, in his final statement, he ultimately did not address the matter.

At the trial held on December 5, Yoon revealed that ahead of the 2022 "Korean Peninsula Peace Summit," an event organized by the church, he had attempted to make contact not only with the People Power Party but also with the Democratic Party.

At that time, Yoon stated, "From 2017 to 2021, I was closer to the Democratic Party than to the People Power Party," and added, "Ahead of the Peace Summit, I approached four ministers of the current administration, and two of them even went back and forth to President Han Hakja." He also said, "I am concerned about the potential repercussions," and refrained from disclosing the real names of Democratic Party figures.

Yoon also claimed that he had testified about this matter during the special prosecutor's investigation and had provided the list of lawmakers, but alleged that the special prosecutor's team omitted it from the indictment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.