Prosecutors Refile Arrest Warrant for Geonjin Beopsa... Alleged Violation of Political Funds Act

The prosecution has refiled an arrest warrant for Jeon Seong-bae (64), a shaman known as 'Geonjin Beopsa,' who is accused of accepting a large sum of money in exchange for promising to secure a nomination during the 2018 local elections.

'Geonjin Beopsa' Jeon Seong-bae attending the detention hearing. Photo by Yonhap News

The Virtual Asset Crime Joint Investigation Team of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Head Park Geon-wook) announced on the 8th that they have refiled an arrest warrant against Jeon on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. Jeon's pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant substantive examination) is scheduled for 2 p.m. on the 9th at the Seoul Southern District Court, presided over by Judge Jeongwon, who is in charge of warrants.

Jeon is suspected of receiving illegal political funds amounting to hundreds of millions of won from candidates running in the internal primary of the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) and other local politicians ahead of the 2018 Yeongcheon mayoral election in Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Previously, the prosecution filed an arrest warrant with the court on the 18th of last month, but it was dismissed. The court stated, "The dates, amounts, and methods of the money received by Jeon are not clearly confirmed, and if Jeon indeed delivered the funds to the political circles as suspected by the prosecution, the nature of Jeon's crime could be viewed differently."

A prosecution official explained, "We conducted additional investigations to supplement the reasons for the dismissal of the first arrest warrant, and further confirmed facts regarding grounds for detention such as the risk of evidence destruction and flight, leading to the reapplication for the arrest warrant."

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