The leader of the controversial Unification Church has been sentenced to two years in prison by a South Korean court for bribery offenses. According to international desk reports compiled by Ummah Kantho, Han Hak-ja was found guilty of providing valuable luxury items to Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, in exchange for political and business influence. Court findings revealed that the church handed over two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, with a combined estimated value of approximately eighty million won.
Earlier this year, former first lady Kim received a twenty-month prison sentence for accepting those bribes from the religious organization. Han, the eighty-three-year-old widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, had consistently denied the allegations throughout the proceedings, labeling them entirely false. A special counsel team appointed to the high-profile investigation noted that the luxury items were transferred between April and July of 2022 to secure preferential treatment. Prosecutors stated that the probe represents the first concrete confirmation of the church attempting to buy political influence on such a scale, backed by the discovery of millions in cash inside Han`s personal safe.
While the former first lady acknowledged receiving the Chanel items during questioning, she maintained that they were later returned unused. Kim issued a public apology last August, expressing regret over the controversy caused to the public. Founded in South Korea during the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon, who proclaimed himself the messiah, the religious movement gained international attention primarily for hosting massive stadium weddings for thousands of couples simultaneously. Critics have frequently described the group using cult-like terminology, accusing leadership of coercing devotees into large financial contributions.
The organization faced intense scrutiny globally, particularly in Japan following the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, whose alleged killer blamed the group for his family`s financial ruin. Records and public events have previously highlighted extensive ties between church affiliates and prominent politicians across Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington, with various figures sending congratulatory messages to recent organizational summits. As legal proceedings conclude in South Korea, the organization continues to face severe regulatory crackdowns and dissolution orders in other jurisdictions worldwide.
