Ex-lawmaker convicted of taking Unification Church funds to lose lawyer license

Former South Korean lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong is set to have his lawyer registration revoked after his conviction for accepting 100 million won in illegal political funds from the Unification Church. The Korean Bar Association has received an order from the Ministry of Justice to cancel his registration, with the process currently ongoing.

Kwon, formerly of the People Power Party, was found guilty of receiving the funds in January 2022 from a representative of the Unification Church, allegedly in exchange for favors. This led to his indictment by a special prosecutor.

The Supreme Court confirmed his sentence last month, imposing two years in prison and a 100 million won fine. The conviction disqualifies him from practicing law under the Attorneys-at-Law Act, which bars individuals sentenced to imprisonment without parole who have not completed their sentence or had it waived for five years.

The Ministry of Justice is mandated to order the cancellation of registration for any lawyer found to meet these disqualifying criteria, and the Bar Association must then comply.