The 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church has been sentenced to two years in after a South Korean court found that luxury gifts were given to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in an alleged attempt to gain political and business favours.
Han Hak-ja, the 83-year-old leader of the controversial religious group, has been sentenced to two years in prison. The charge is straightforward: bribery and illegal political funding.
Between April and July 2022, the church allegedly handed over two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace to Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted president, Yoon Suk Yeol. The total value of the gifts was around 80 million won, or roughly $57,900.
In exchange, prosecutors argue, the church expected business and political favors. It is the first time authorities have formally confirmed the group’s attempt to buy influence at the highest levels of government.
The physical evidence was staggering. During the investigation, prosecutors uncovered a personal safe belonging to Han containing $19 million in cash.
Kim Keon Hee has already been sentenced to 20 months in jail for accepting the bribes. She admitted to receiving the luxury items, though she claimed she returned them unused. During questioning last August, she offered a public apology.
“I am truly sorry that a nobody like me has caused concern to the people,” she said.
Han has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them entirely false.
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The Unification Church, formally known as The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was founded in the 1950s. Over the years, it has faced intense scrutiny. Lawyers and critics have frequently accused the organization of coercing its followers into making massive financial donations.
For the church, the sentence against its elderly leader is likely to deepen questions about how far it went in trying to build political influence and whether its relationship with powerful figures crossed the line into corruption.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
