Han Hak‑ja, the World Peace and Unification group’s leader, has been sentenced to two years in prison after a Seoul court found her church supplied former South Korean first lady Kim Keon‑Hee with two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, a pact aimed at gaining political influence.
The judge highlighted that the gifts, worth roughly 80 million won, were exchanged for business and political favors—an offence that sent Kim to jail for 20 months earlier in the same year.
Prosecutors said this probe is the first time evidence has confirmed the church’s attempts to buy power. They also released photographs of about $19m in cash found in Han’s personal safe.
Han, 83, has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them false, but the court found the bribery claims substantiated.
The Unification Church, whose members are often called “Moonies,” has been criticised for its cult‑like behaviour and for what critics say are extensive political lobbying efforts. Its impact has stretched from Seoul to Washington, Tokyo and beyond, drawing former US President Trump, former US Vice‑President Mike Pence and Japan’s ex‑Prime Minister Shinzo Abe into its orbit. The group has been banned in Singapore and ordered to dissolve in Japan.
