Heo Gyeong-young, honorary representative of the National Revolution Party, has been indicted on charges of selling expensive spiritual products claiming to have spiritual abilities and sexually assaulting his followers.
The 4th Criminal Division of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office, led by Director General Jang Wook-hwan, announced on the 11th that Heo has been arrested and charged with fraud, embezzlement, violation of the Political Funds Act, and quasi-coerced sexual assault.
From 2019 to 2023, Heo is accused of claiming to have spiritual abilities while selling expensive spiritual products at the religious facility 'Heavenly Palace' in Yangju, and using corporate funds for personal and political purposes. He is also accused of making physical contact with his followers under the guise of 'energy healing'.
According to the prosecution, Heo deceived his followers by saying, 'I am God, and I preside over human fortunes and misfortunes. If you make a donation, you will receive blessings in this life and your wishes will come true,' embezzling a total of 324 million won.
It was investigated that after making a considerable amount of money by selling expensive spiritual products, Heo used 38.9 billion won of corporate funds, in which he is the sole shareholder, for personal real estate purchases and attorney expenses. The Supreme Court has ruled that even for a sole proprietorship, the corporate owner and the individual are separate, and that using corporate funds arbitrarily for personal use constitutes embezzlement.
He also received and used approximately 8 billion won as political donations from corporate funds while running for the 21st National Assembly elections in 2020, the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, and the 2022 presidential election. The Political Funds Act strictly prohibits using corporate funds as political donations.
After receiving the case from the police, the prosecution formed a dedicated investigation team with six prosecutors and eight investigators, and took measures to secure 38.9 billion won in criminal revenue.