Supreme Court Upholds 5-Year Sentence for 'Geonjin Beopsa' in Kim Keon-hee Gift Case

South Korea's Supreme Court has finalized a five-year prison sentence for Jeon Seong-bae, widely known as 'Geonjin Beopsa,' who was convicted of delivering a Chanel bag and other valuables to first lady Kim Keon-hee. The court upheld the conviction for acting as an intermediary in exchange for favors related to the Unification Church's affairs.

Jeon was found guilty of receiving approximately 82.93 million won (about $60,000) worth of items, including two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace, from a Unification Church official between April and July 2022. These items were allegedly given to Kim Keon-hee in exchange for favorable consideration of the church's issues. Jeon also faced charges for demanding a consultancy position and receiving 30 million won from the church, as well as accepting around 200 million won from various companies under similar pretenses.

The lower courts had previously ruled that Jeon was not merely a delivery person but acted with a shared intent to facilitate the illicit transactions, making him a co-conspirator with Kim Keon-hee. The Supreme Court agreed with these findings, dismissing Jeon's appeal. However, the court acquitted Jeon on a separate charge of violating political fund laws, related to accepting 100 million won from a local politician seeking party nomination, ruling that Jeon did not fit the legal definition of a person engaged in political activities.