▲ Yun Young-ho, a former head of the Unification Church's global headquarters, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, in this file photo taken July 30, 2025. (Yonhap)

ex-Unification Church official-appeals trial

Ex-Unification Church official gets heavier prison term during appeal over gifts to ex-first lady

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Monday sentenced a former Unification Church official to 18 months in prison for giving luxury gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, a heavier punishment than the 14 months given by a lower court.

The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence to Yun Young-ho, who formerly served as head of the church's global headquarters, upholding most of the lower court's ruling in January.

The appeals court found Yun guilty of giving a Graff diamond necklace worth 62.2 million won (US$42,200) and a Chanel bag worth 12.7 million won to Kim, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, in July 2022 while requesting favors on various issues related to the church.

It also ruled that he gave 100 million won in illegal political funds to Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the now main opposition People Power Party -- a close political ally of Yoon -- in January 2022.

The court overturned the lower court's acquittal of Yun from charges of embezzling church funds to gift a separate Chanel bag to Kim in April 2022, finding him guilty of embezzlement, which apparently led to his increased sentence.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had demanded a four-year prison term for Yun.

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