Heo Kyung-young, Honorary Representative of the National Revolution Party, Arrested on Charges of Sexual Assault and Fraud
Heo Kyung-young (77), the Honorary Representative of the National Revolution Party, has been arrested on charges of sexual assault of worshippers and fraud.
On the 16th, the Uijeongbu District Court issued an arrest warrant requested by the prosecution for Heo on charges of embezzlement, fraud, violations of the Political Funds Act, and quasi-coercive sexual assault under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
The court stated that there is a "concern for the destruction of evidence" as the reason for his arrest.
Earlier, some worshippers at 'Heavenly Palace,' a religious facility located in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, which is Heo's base, filed a complaint in 2023, alleging that Heo and personnel associated with Heavenly Palace sold them spiritual food at exorbitant prices well above cost.
Additionally, there were worshippers who reported that Heo inappropriately touched female worshippers under the pretext of counseling, leading to allegations of sexual assault.
The police summoned Heo for questioning over 30 times and conducted a search of Heavenly Palace, carrying out investigations for about a year.
Upon attending the substantive examination of the warrant, Heo fully denied the allegations, claiming that the complainants (worshippers) were trying to extort money from him.
Heo Kyung-young's Past Conduct and Legal Controversies
Heo has been at the center of controversy within the political arena as well. He has run for president three times: in the 15th presidential election in 1997 as a candidate of the Republican Party, in the 17th presidential election in 2007 as a candidate of the Economic Republican Party, and in the 20th presidential election in 2022 as the candidate of the National Revolution Party.
Notably, in 2007, he was arrested for defamation after spreading false information that he had promised to marry former President Park Geun-hye, who was the presidential candidate of the Grand National Party at the time.
Recently, Heo raised questions about the fairness of the investigation, voicing concerns over the complaints and requests for inspections by investigators, refusing to cooperate with the inquiry. Consequently, the police merged the two cases and applied for an arrest warrant, which the prosecution submitted to the court.
In response, Heo's legal representative claimed, "The investigation team of the Gyeonggi North Provincial Police Agency has ignored objective evidence from Heo Kyung-young's side and has conducted a biased and unjust investigation."
According to legal experts, if Heo is found guilty in this case, he will be stripped of his eligibility to run for office for ten years from the time his conviction is confirmed, in accordance with Article 18 of the Public Official Election Act. This is expected to pose a significant limitation on his political activities.
Meanwhile, Heo has attracted public interest with his unique pledges and actions.
He has garnered some support with outrageous promises like "1 billion won per person" and "development of superpowers," but his claims have been criticized as unrealistic in both political and academic circles.
With his recent arrest, attention is now focused on how Heo Kyung-young's political activities and the operations of Heavenly Palace will change.
The prosecution plans to clarify the facts of the allegations through the arrest investigation.
Image Source: Heo Kyung-young, Honorary Representative of the National Revolution Party, is making a statement upon attending the second investigation related to the 'sexual assault of worshippers' allegation at the Gyeonggi North Provincial Police Agency in Uijeongbu on July 19, 2024. / News1, News1, facebook 'unhky'
