Jeon Seong-bae, right, a shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, appears at the special counsel’s office in Seoul to undergo questioning, Jan. 19. Yonhap
A shaman known for his close ties to former first lady Kim Keon Hee has appealed a court ruling sentencing him to six years in prison for accepting bribes from the Unification Church, legal sources said Monday.
Jeon Seong-bae, better known as Geonjin, filed the appeal Friday, days after the Seoul Central District Court convicted him of accepting 80 million won ($55,000) worth of goods from a former church official in 2022 by colluding with Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and other offenses.
Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team has also appealed the ruling, which acquitted Jeon of violating the Political Funds Act over allegations that he took bribes from a provincial councilmember candidate in exchange for his help with securing his nomination.