SEOUL, South Korea (AP): A South Korean court sentenced Hak Ja Han, the 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church, to two years in prison on Monday for bribing the wife of ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and other corruption charges.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted Han, widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, of violating the political funds act, bribery and embezzling church funds, the court said in a statement.
Han was arrested in September 2025 and later charged with colluding with church officials to give then-first lady Kim Keon Hee luxury goods when Yoon was in office, in pursuit of political favors. Han was also charged with giving lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, 100 million won ($73,000) months before Yoon’s inauguration in May 2022.
Earlier this year, Kim received a four-year prison term at an appeals court for receiving a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel bags from the Unification Church, and stock price manipulation, a charge that is unrelated to the church.
On Monday, the Seoul court sentenced a church official to six months in prison and gave two other church officials suspended terms over their involvement in Han’s case. Kwon received a two-year sentence at the Supreme Court, the top court in South Korea, in July.
Despite Monday's verdict, Han was out of prison because the Seoul court earlier accepted her request to suspend her arrest due to health issues until Sept. 2. A team of investigators led by special prosecutor Min Joong-ki earlier requested a 13-year prison term for Han.
Revered as "True Mother” by followers, Han is the top leader of the Unification Church, which is officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
The organization said in a statement Monday that it deeply apologizes for causing "big concerns and disappointment to the people." But it said it cannot accept the ruling against Han and will appeal it.
The Unification Church, widely known for mass weddings, was founded in 1954 by Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative family values. He built the church into an international movement with extensive business interests worldwide. Moon died in 2012 at age 92.
In a blow to the church's branch in Japan, a Tokyo court last year ordered a revocation of its legal status after the government accused it of manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that sowed fear among followers and harmed their families.
The order came after a man, who admitted to killing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, had said he was motivated by a desire to expose Japanese politicians’ ties to the Unification Church.
South Korean investigations of the church-involved scandal started after Yoon was removed from office following a Constitutional Court ruling in April 2025 over his imposition of martial law that threw the nation into turmoil.
His successor Lee Jae Myung, a liberal, appointed three special prosecutors to investigate Yoon’s martial law and other allegations during his presidency.
In February, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion in connection with his martial law enforcement.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon abruptly imposed martial law and sent troops and police officers to the National Assembly, saying he aimed to eliminate "anti-state forces” and "shameless North Korea sympathizers.” The martial law lasted six hours as he was forced to lift it after the assembly unanimously voted it down.
Yoon has defended his action, calling it a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the liberal opposition Democratic Party that obstructed his agenda. -- AP
