Unification Church leader jailed for bribing South Korean ex-first lady
A South Korean court has sentenced the leader of the controversial Unification Church to two years in prison for bribing the country’s former first lady and committing political funding offences.
Han Hak-ja, the 83-year-old widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, was found guilty of gifting Kim Keon Hee two Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace. The luxury items are valued at 80mn won (£42,500). Prosecutors established that the church provided the goods between April and July 2022 to secure business advantages and political favours.
The ruling marks the first time authorities have officially confirmed the religious organisation’s attempts to buy political influence. During the investigation, a special counsel team discovered $19mn in cash stored in Han’s personal safe. She had repeatedly dismissed the bribery allegations as entirely false.
The verdict follows a related trial earlier this year where Kim, the wife of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, received a 20-month jail term for accepting the illicit gifts. The former first lady admitted taking the designer bags but maintained she returned them unused. She publicly apologised last August while appearing for questioning.
A history of political entanglements
Formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the group was established in the 1950s by Moon, who declared himself the messiah. The church gained international notoriety for conducting mass stadium weddings.
Critics frequently describe the organisation as a cult and accuse leadership of coercing devotees into making massive financial donations. The group faces severe international scrutiny and is banned in several jurisdictions including Singapore.
The church previously faced intense backlash in Japan following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The accused gunman claimed the religious group bankrupted his family and targeted the politician for promoting its activities. Consequently, Japanese authorities have ordered the organisation to dissolve.
Despite these controversies, the church has historically maintained extensive global political ties. Prominent figures including former US President Donald Trump, former US Vice President Mike Pence and various regional mayors submitted congratulatory video messages for a church event in 2021.
