Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman, enters the Seoul Southern District Court, Thursday. Yonhap

A Seoul court on Thursday again rejected an arrest warrant for a shaman reportedly close to President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, who faces allegations of accepting illegal political funds nearly six years ago.

The Seoul Southern District Court rejected the prosecution's request after a hearing attended by Jeon Seong-bae, the shaman, citing that there is room for legal dispute.

The court had previously rejected the prosecution's request for his detention last month.

Jeon is suspected of receiving about 100 million won ($69,027) in illegal political funds from a candidate during the ruling party's nomination race for the 2018 local elections.

He is also believed to have played a role in Yoon's presidential campaign prior to the election in March 2022 and has been accused of leveraging his personal connections with the first family to influence business interests. (Yonhap)