Kwon Seongdong's Detention Hearing Begins: "The Moon Jaein Prosecution and Lee Jaemyung Special Prosecutor Are the Same, I Am Innocent"

Accused of Receiving 100 Million Won in Political Funds from the Unification Church
Detention Decision Expected as Early as Today

The detention hearing for Kwon Sungdong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party who has been identified as the starting point of alleged collusion between the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and the Unification Church, has begun. Upon arriving at court, Kwon stated, "The Moon Jaein prosecution and the Lee Jaemyung special prosecutor are the same," adding, "I was innocent then, and I am innocent now." A decision on whether he will be detained is expected as early as late this afternoon.

Representative Kwon Sungdong standing before the press ahead of the detention hearing. Photo by Yonhap News

On September 16, Nam Sejin, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a pre-arrest warrant review for Kwon, who is accused of violating the Political Funds Act.

Appearing for the hearing, Kwon said, "I feel devastated. This reminds me of the prosecutorial oppression during the Moon Jaein administration," and continued, "The Moon Jaein prosecution and the Lee Jaemyung special prosecutor are the same in that the investigations are excessive, the arrest warrant requests are insufficient, and there are entanglements with political interests." He added, "I was innocent then, and I am innocent now. Today, I will clarify the facts in court and provide a thorough explanation."

He did not respond to questions from reporters asking whether he still denies the allegation of receiving 100 million won from the Unification Church or whether he had regular meetings with Unification Church officials.

Previously, on August 28, the special prosecutor's team requested an arrest warrant for Kwon on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. During their investigation into allegations involving First Lady Kim Keonhee and the Unification Church, as well as Geonjin Bopsa, the special prosecutor's team discovered suspicious links between Kwon and the Unification Church and began a probe.

Kwon is accused of receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds while being asked by the Unification Church to provide support for various events. The special prosecutor's team is also investigating allegations that the Unification Church mobilized a large number of members to join the party ahead of the party convention in March 2023 to help Kwon win the leadership race, as well as claims that he received a shopping bag filled with cash from Hak Ja Han, the leader of the Unification Church.

The special prosecutor's team requested an arrest warrant for Kwon on August 28. The arrest consent request sent by the court to the special prosecutor's team was forwarded to the Ministry of Justice, approved by the President, and then reported to the National Assembly. On September 11, the National Assembly passed the motion to consent to his arrest at a plenary session.

Kwon has consistently denied the allegations, acknowledging that he met with Hak Ja Han during the 2022 presidential election campaign but insisting he did not receive any money. On the previous day, Kwon wrote on his Facebook page, "Some media outlets, the special prosecutor, and the Democratic Party are making a fuss by exaggerating the fact that I visited the Unification Church during the presidential campaign," and asserted, "While it is true that I visited and exchanged greetings, I never received any money or valuables."