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

SEOUL, South Korea - A South Korean court handed down a two-year prison sentence on Monday to Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han, the widow of the church's founder, Sun Myung Moon. The ruling came from the Seoul Central District Court, as reported by the court's public affairs office. Han was arrested the previous year and accused of orchestrating bribery schemes involving the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative leader, and a prominent politician allied with Yoon.

She was also charged with misappropriating church funds and concealing evidence of her gambling habits in the United States.

In January, former first lady Kim Keon Hee faced a 20-month prison term after accepting gifts from the Unification Church, which allegedly sought political favors. These gifts included a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag. In April, an appeals court escalated her sentence to four years, convicting her of additional charges such as receiving another Chanel bag from the church and engaging in stock price manipulation.

The once-powerful presidential couple faced a significant decline following Yoon's impeachment and subsequent removal from office due to marital infidelity in late 2024.