Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han sentenced to two years in Seoul bribery trial

The sentence was for colluding with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to win administrative favors.

The court said a prison sentence was inevitable even though a former senior official, not Han, was believed to have taken the initiative overall.

The court acquitted Han on some other charges.

Earlier this year, Kim was sentenced to 20 months in jail for accepting bribes from the church.

Kim admitted receiving Chanel bags but said she later returned them unused.

Moonies is a critics' term that many church members find offensive.

Various politicians sent video messages to a 2021 event congratulating the church's new think tank.

A special prosecutor team indicted Han in October 2025.

Han said she had no interest in politics and that subordinates had acted without her knowledge.

Kim acknowledged receiving Chanel bags via an intermediary but denied a lobbying link or quid pro quo.

Han was brought into court in a wheelchair.

The court gave a former aide to Han a suspended prison term.

Special counsel alleged Han sought Kweon's help gaining church favors if Yoon won in March 2022.

Yoon, then the People Power Party candidate, went on to win the election.

The court said people's trust in state policies was violated whether or not the church's requests were granted.

The court convicted Han and former church officials of 144 million won in illegal political donations using church funds in March 2022.

The court acquitted Han of embezzlement charges linked to the donations.

The court dismissed Nepal and Senegal campaign-fund embezzlement charges as outside the special counsel's mandate.

The court convicted Han of violating the political funds act, bribery and embezzling church funds.

Han was arrested in September 2025.

An appeals court this year gave Kim a four-year term for a Graff necklace, two Chanel bags, and an unrelated stock-manipulation count.

Moon built the church into an international movement with extensive worldwide business interests.

Moon died in 2012 at age 92.

President Lee Jae Myung appointed three special prosecutors to investigate Yoon-era allegations including martial law.

In February, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion over martial law.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon imposed martial law for six hours until the National Assembly voted it down.

Yoon has defended martial law as a desperate attempt to rally support against the Democratic Party.

A joint police-prosecution team ended a 237-day investigation Monday after indicting 32 people and seizing 26 billion won from Han Hak-ja’s safes.

Investigators alleged Shincheonji directed tens of thousands of followers to join the People Power Party.

Investigators alleged the Unification Church used church funds to make illicit donations to politicians.

Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee was among four church officials indicted while in custody.

Sixteen people linked to the Unification Church, including Han, were indicted without detention.

The joint team was established Jan. 6 to investigate political interference, tax evasion and embezzlement involving the two groups.

Twelve others connected to Shincheonji were indicted without detention.

Six of them face summary proceedings that allow fines without a full trial.

At least 56,472 followers joined the party during the period.

Investigators raided 56 locations, including Shincheonji and PPP headquarters, and questioned about 200 people.

Investigators concluded Shincheonji evaded 7.57 billion won in taxes between 2016 and 2020.

A financial investigation found Han, Jeong, Yun and another official allegedly embezzled about 10.5 billion won from 2017 to 2025.

Go was accused of embezzling about 1.9 billion won and fraudulently collecting 4.1 billion won from 12 branches for an unauthorized real-estate project.

Investigators closed a probe of whether Han and Jeong Won-ju were directly involved in the donations for insufficient evidence.

Three former church officials, including Yun Young-ho, were indicted for Political Funds Act violations and embezzlement.

Prosecutors indicted a Shincheonji official and a candidate supporter over this year’s local elections.

Investigators are seeking a court order to preserve the assets for possible forfeiture.

The church accused investigators of treating religious offerings as embezzled funds.

The team closed an investigation into whether Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo received church money or valuables as a lawmaker.

Four of Chun’s former aides were indicted for allegedly damaging computer storage before a search.