The authorities clarified that this investigation was separate to that of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law imposition or alleged charges. - Photo: Reuters
SEOUL: Local reports said President Yoon Suk Yeol could potentially face another political scandal amid the ongoing martial law turmoil, this time involving a shaman who was arrested by the prosecution on Tuesday (Dec 17) on suspicions of acquiring illegal political funds in the 2018 local elections.
The prosecution announced that its joint investigation unit on virtual asset crimes arrested the 64-year-old shaman surnamed Jeon, who is widely known as Geon Jin and reportedly close to Yoon and his wife, and initiated a search and seizure operation at his house.
Jeon’s two smartphones secured from the operation are being examined by the prosecution.
The authorities clarified that the investigation involving Jeon was separate to that of Yoon’s martial law imposition or alleged charges.
Jeon has faced controversies over his alleged connections to Yoon during his presidential campaign.
Some have speculated that the shaman played a significant behind-the-scenes role, effectively acting as the de facto leader of Yoon’s campaign team.
Local reports have published photos captured from a video that show Jeon introducing campaign staff to Yoon, during his visit to the office of a networking subcommittee within the election campaign committee in 2022.
While guiding Yoon to the office, multiple physical and verbal gestures were made by Jeon.
Lawmakers from the campaign team of Yoon’s rival, Lee Jae-myung, had urged voters to stop supporting the conservative candidate at the time, accusing Yoon of being wielded by shamanism.
Representative Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, condemned Yoon, saying that he would not be able to make state decisions based on shamanism.
The People Power Party (PPP) had refuted the allegation, claiming Jeon was not involved in an advisory role of the networking subcommittee.
The party also announced that Jeon worked as a manager for part of a Buddhist organisation under the Jogye Order and is not a shaman.
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism – the largest Buddhist sect in Korea – refuted these claims, saying that it has no member matching Jeon’s name and birthdate.
The People Power Party later changed its stance after reports revealed that the shaman had served as an adviser to Covana Content, an exhibition planning company previously managed by Yoon’s wife Kim Keon Hee.
The PPP then stated that Jeon was a close acquaintance of both Yoon and Kim.
In an attempt to put the controversy to rest, the People Power Party decided to disband the networking subcommittee in January 2022.
Yoon experienced growing political isolation with multiple political scandals, particularly one involving Myung Tae-kyun.
In October, the self-proclaimed power broker caught public attention over allegations of interfering in candidate nominations in the 2022 parliamentary by-elections through his ties with then presidential candidate Yoon.
Myung, who runs a public polling agency, is suspected of receiving approximately 90 million won (S$84,500) from Kim Myung-sun, a former People Power Party lawmaker, in exchange for securing the nomination for her.
He is also suspected of receiving money from Kim for conducting customised polls in favour of then PPP presidential candidate Yoon.
“Myung revealed that he received money from Kim twice, but he said it was not a quid pro quo between him and her,” the prosecution said after conducting an investigation in mid-November.
Meanwhile, the opposition-led National Assembly passed a Bill to mandate a special counsel probe into two key allegations involving First Lady Kim’s involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and interference in election nominations through Myung on Dec 10.
The Bill marked the assembly’s fourth attempt to probe the First Lady after similar proposals were vetoed by Yoon. - The Korea Herald/ANN
