A Seoul court has sentenced Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja to two years in prison after finding her guilty of illegal political funding and anti-graft offences linked to efforts to build influence with the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence on Monday, August 31, to the 83-year-old leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The punishment was considerably shorter than the 13-year prison term sought by special counsel prosecutors.
One part of the case centred on luxury items given to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The court convicted Han over her involvement in providing Kim with a luxury necklace and a Chanel handbag through an intermediary in July 2022 while seeking political favours for the church.
Han was also convicted over a 100 million-won payment made in January 2022 to Kweon Seong-dong, who was then a lawmaker of the People Power Party. Prosecutors said the church wanted Kweon’s assistance in obtaining favourable treatment if Yoon won that year’s presidential election.
The court further found Han and other former church officials guilty over political donations made using church funds. Yonhap reported that the donations totalled 144 million won in March 2022. Han was nevertheless acquitted of some embezzlement allegations connected to the payments, while other charges were dismissed because the court found they fell outside the special counsel’s investigative mandate.
In explaining the sentence, the court said the church had used its financial resources to strengthen its political influence and seek government support for its interests. Han’s senior position within the organisation was cited as a reason a prison sentence was necessary.
Han has denied responsibility for the alleged wrongdoing, maintaining that former church official Yun Young-ho acted independently. Her church said it could not accept the verdict and signalled that an appeal would be filed.
Yun, who previously headed the church’s global headquarters, was sentenced to six months in prison. A former chief of staff to Han received an eight-month sentence suspended for two years, according to court reports.
The case is part of a broader investigation into alleged political ties between the Unification Church and figures associated with the former Yoon administration. It has also brought renewed scrutiny to the use of religious organisations and their financial resources in South Korean politics.
For Han, Monday’s ruling marks the first-instance judgment in a case that has already drawn considerable political attention. With the church indicating that it will challenge the verdict, the dispute is expected to continue through the appeals process.
