Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, who has been identified as the instigator of the alleged collusion between the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the Unification Church, is heading to the Seoul Detention Center, a waiting area, after a suspect interrogation before detention (warrant examination) held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 16th. Yonhap News. 

Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, identified as the instigator of the alleged collusion between the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the Unification Church, was arrested on the 16th.

This marks the first arrest of a currently serving member of the National Assembly since the 22nd National Assembly convened, and the first instance of a currently serving member with immunity from arrest being arrested since the introduction of the special prosecutor system.

Nam Se-jin, the chief judge presiding over warrant examinations at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Kwon on charges of violating the Political Funds Act after conducting a suspect interrogation before detention (warrant examination) on the same day.

Chief Judge Nam stated, "There is a concern that evidence may be destroyed," as the reason for issuing the warrant.

Kwon, who was waiting for the examination results at the Seoul Detention Center, is scheduled to proceed with the formal admission procedures immediately.

Kwon is accused of receiving 100 million won in January 2022 from a former Unification Church global headquarters official, identified as Mr. Yoon (who has been arrested and indicted), with the understanding that he would promote the Unification Church's agenda as state policy after former President Yoon's election, in exchange for the Unification Church's members' votes, organizational support, and financial backing in the 20th presidential election. He faces charges of violating the Political Funds Act.

The special prosecutor team, investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, requested an arrest warrant for Kwon on the 28th of last month. The arrest motion request sent by the court to the special prosecutor team was forwarded through the Ministry of Justice and approved by the President before being reported to the National Assembly.

The National Assembly passed the motion for arrest at a plenary session on the 11th.

Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, identified as the instigator of the alleged collusion between the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the Unification Church, speaks to reporters as he attends a suspect interrogation before detention (warrant examination) held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 16th. Yonhap News. 

It is reported that during the warrant examination on the previous day, the special prosecutor team presented photographs of uncirculated bank notes totaling 100 million won found on the mobile phone of Ms. Lee, the wife of former headquarters official Yoon, as evidence.

The team also submitted to the court a diary belonging to former headquarters official Yoon with memos stating "One big bill support" and "Kwon Seong-dong luncheon," as well as text messages sent by former headquarters official Yoon to Kwon stating, "Please use what I gave you today wisely for the candidate."

Furthermore, the special prosecutor team emphasized the concern of evidence destruction by highlighting that Kwon replaced his mobile phone at the beginning of the investigation and communicated with investigators using an alias mobile phone.

Kwon denied the charges, stating his "innocence" in his final statement at the end of the examination, but the court did not accept it.

With Kwon now in custody, the special prosecutor team is expected to accelerate its investigation into allegations that he received a shopping bag containing cash from Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja in February-March 2022, and that he leaked information about a police investigation into the leader's alleged overseas gambling to the Unification Church side to prepare for the investigation.

It is also anticipated that the team will focus on strengthening the charges against leader Han based on Kwon's testimony.

Leader Han is accused of colluding with former Unification Church global headquarters official Mr. Yoon to request support from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration for the Unification Church and delivering 100 million won in political funds to Kwon.

He had received three summonses from the special prosecutor team but did not appear for any of them, citing health issues. He has now agreed to voluntarily appear on the 17th.

Meanwhile, Kwon's side claimed on social media immediately after the arrest warrant was issued, "The political oppression by the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party has officially begun. This arrest is the first signal flare."

They further stated, "The special prosecutor's investigation is creating a fictitious case. They are writing a novel, not conducting an investigation." They added, "No matter how much I am oppressed, I will reveal the truth and be acquitted. Just as the Moon Jae-in administration could not bring me down, the Lee Jae-myung administration will not be able to bring me down either."

Yonhap News