A shaman admitted to delivering designer bags and a necklace to an aide of Kim Keon-hee on behalf of the Unification Church but denied charges that he had intended to bribe the former first lady.

Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geonjin Beopsa, said during a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday that he had received the items from Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church's global headquarters, and passed them on to then-presidential secretary Yoo Kyung-ok.

Jeon's lawyers said the shaman had later received some of the gifts back and had understood the situation to be a request for goodwill and understanding rather than a kickback.

Prosecutors say Jeon acted as a broker for political favors, using his ties to Kim and other prominent figures to solicit money and positions from the Unification Church.

Jeon also admitted to receiving money in return for supporting a lawmaker's bid for his party's nomination in a 2022 provincial election and helping quash a tax investigation, which the prosecution claimed constituted state manipulation for personal gain.