Cult leader with presidential ambitions indicted on fraud, indecent assault
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Prosecutors indicted Huh Kyung-young, a cultlike politician, on multiple charges including fraud, embezzlement and political finance violations, the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors’ Office said Wednesday.
Huh also faces charges of quasi-forcible indecent assault. Prosecutors claim he groped female followers under the pretense of performing “energy healing.”
Prosecutors allege that from 2019 to 2023, Huh, the honorary leader of the National Revolutionary Party, sold high-priced “spiritual” products at a religious facility known as Haneulgung — translated as “Heaven Palace” — by claiming to possess supernatural powers.
He also allegedly misappropriated funds from a corporation he solely owned for personal and political purposes.
According to the prosecution, Huh told his followers, “I am a god and I control people’s life spans and fortunes. If you donate money, you’ll receive blessings in this world and your wishes will come true.”
Using these claims, he allegedly defrauded them of roughly 324 million won ($236,000).
Authorities also accused Huh of using corporate funds to purchase real estate worth about 38.9 billion won under his name.
Though Huh was the sole shareholder, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that a corporation and its owner are legally distinct. Using corporate assets for private purposes without authorization constitutes embezzlement under Korean law.
Content retrieved from: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-11/national/socialAffairs/Cult-leader-with-presidential-ambitions-indicted-on-fraud-indecent-assault/2327862.
