South Korea court gives Unification Church leader 2 years prison

The National Times - South Korea court gives Unification Church leader 2 years prison

South Korea court gives Unification Church leader 2 years prison / Photo: © POOL/AFP

A South Korean court sentenced the leader of the secretive and powerful Unification Church on Monday to two years in prison on charges of bribing officials, including the then president's wife.

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Han Hak-ja, 83, was accused of providing luxury items, including a designer handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee while her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, was president, in an attempt to secure policy favours.

She arrived for sentencing at court Monday in a wheelchair, wearing pyjamas and a surgical mask, surrounded by aides.

The Unification Church has a range of significant business interests, including media, education and food distribution, and has long drawn scrutiny over its political ties in South Korea.

"We have confirmed that she has been sentenced to two years," by the Seoul Central District Court, a spokesman for the Unification Church told AFP, adding that the church would issue a statement.

Other allegations against Han include providing illegal funds to prominent lawmaker Kweon Seon-dong, a former floor leader of the opposition People Power Party.

Founded in 1954 by Han's late husband, Moon Sun-myung, the Unification Church has long drawn controversy over teachings that regard Moon as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Han, revered by church members as the "True Mother", took the helm of the church after Moon's death in 2012. She was arrested in September 2025 in connection with a bribery case involving the former first lady.

The Unification Church is best known for its mass wedding ceremonies, in which couples of different nationalities are matched, held at its headquarters in South Korea.

Han's arrest rocked the church, which claims to have 10 million followers worldwide.

Since her arrest, Han has repeatedly been transferred between a detention centre and hospital for medical treatment.

The church came under renewed scrutiny in Japan after the 2022 assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, with the suspected gunman blaming the organisation for his family's financial ruin.

F.Hammond--TNT

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