In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through South Korean political and religious circles, 83-year-old Han Hak-ja, the current leader of the highly controversial Unification Church, has been sentenced to two years behind bars over charges of bribing former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee and committing multiple violations of political funding regulations. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the sentence on Monday during a public sentencing hearing that Han attended in person, marking the culmination of a high-profile probe into opaque ties between the religious group and national political elites.
The court found clear evidence that the Unification Church, led by Han, provided Kim Keon Hee — wife of ousted South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol — with luxury gifts valued at a total of 80 million won (equivalent to approximately $57,900 and £42,500): two high-end Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace. This conviction follows an earlier ruling from earlier this year, where Kim Keon Hee herself was sentenced to 20 months in prison after being found guilty of accepting the improper bribes from the religious organization.
Han, who is the widow of Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, has maintained a consistent stance of denying all allegations against her throughout the investigation and trial, dismissing the charges as entirely fabricated. A special independent counsel team assembled specifically to investigate this case outlined that the luxury gifts were transferred to Kim between April and July 2022, in exchange for promised business advantages and political favors for the church and its affiliated entities.
Prosecutors emphasized that this investigation marks the first time South Korean law enforcement authorities have formally verified and documented the Unification Church’s deliberate efforts to purchase political influence within the country. As part of the probe, investigators also uncovered $19 million (£14 million) in cash stored inside a personal safe owned by Han, photos of which have been released to the public.
Kim has publicly acknowledged receiving the Chanel handbags, but has claimed that she returned the items before ever using them. When called in for questioning last August, Kim issued a public apology to the South Korean public, stating, “I am truly sorry that a nobody like me has caused concern to the people.”
The Unification Church, officially registered under the name The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was established in South Korea in the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon, who publicly claimed to be the messiah. The group gained global attention primarily for its large-scale mass wedding ceremonies, where thousands of couples were blessed and married by Han and Moon in massive stadium venues. For decades, critics have labeled the organization as cult-like, with legal representatives of former members alleging that it coerces followers — colloquially referred to by critics as “Moonies,” a term most church members reject as offensive — into making exorbitant monetary donations to the group.
The Unification Church was thrust into the global spotlight in 2022 following the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. The suspect who assassinated Abe publicly blamed the organization for ruining his family’s finances, and held Abe responsible for his alleged public support of the group. The church has long claimed to have extensive political connections across multiple world capitals, including Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. In 2021, a range of high-profile global political figures sent pre-recorded video messages to congratulate the launch of the church’s new policy think tank; the list included former U.S. President Donald Trump, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Shinzo Abe, and the mayors of South Korea’s two largest cities, Seoul and Busan.
Currently, the group is banned entirely in multiple jurisdictions around the world, including Singapore. Last year, Japanese courts ordered the Unification Church to be formally dissolved in the country, following years of public outcry over predatory fundraising practices.