Seoul court sentences Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han to 2 years in prison

WorldPolitics
31 Aug 2026 • 2:14 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Seoul court sentences Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han to 2 years in prison

A South Korean court on Monday sentenced Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han to two years in prison for corruption charges.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling against Han, widow of the church’s founder, Sun Myung Moon, according to the court's public affairs office.

She was arrested last year and charged with instructing church officials to bribe the wife of conservative former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was in office at the time, and a high-profile politician close to Yoon.

She also was charged with embezzling church funds and ordering the destruction of evidence of her gambling activities in the United States.

In January, former first lady Kim Keon Hee received a 20-month prison term at the Seoul Central District Court for receiving gifts including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church, which sought political favors from the Unification Church.

In April, an appeals court increased her sentence to four years in prison by convicting her of additional charges including receiving another Chanel bag from the church and stock price manipulation.

The presidential couple suffered a dramatic fall from grace after Yoon’s marital imposition in late 2024 that led to his impeachment and eventual removal from office.

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