The leader of the Unification Church, Han Hak-ja, was arrested on Tuesday in South Korea amid bribery allegations linked to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, prosecutors announced.
“The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant on the grounds that she poses a risk of tampering with evidence,” prosecutors said in a statement.
Han, 82, was questioned last week regarding her alleged involvement in bribing Kim and a prominent lawmaker. Prosecutors sought her arrest the following day. After the warrant was issued, Han was taken into custody and remanded at the Seoul Detention Center.
Founded in 1954 by Han’s late husband, Moon Sun-myung, the Unification Church has long been surrounded by controversy. Moon claimed to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the church’s followers have often been referred to disparagingly as “Moonies” due to its cult-like reputation. The organization has extensive business interests spanning media, tourism, and food distribution.
In response to Han’s arrest, the church issued a statement saying, “We humbly accept the court’s decision. We will sincerely cooperate with the ongoing investigation and trial procedures to establish the truth, and we will do our utmost to take this as an opportunity to restore trust in our church. We deeply apologise for causing concern.”
Han assumed leadership of the church after Moon’s death in 2012. She is accused of orchestrating the delivery of luxury gifts—including a designer handbag and diamond necklace—to Kim in 2022, allegedly to gain favor with Kim’s husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office that year.
The former first lady has herself been arrested and indicted on charges of bribery and stock market manipulation. President Yoon is also in custody, facing trial over his declaration of martial law in December.
Han faces additional allegations of bribing a prominent member of parliament with 100 million won (approximately US$72,000).
After more than nine hours of questioning last week, Han denied any wrongdoing, stating, “Why would I have done that?” when confronted with the allegations.
Prior to her arrest, the Unification Church condemned prosecutors’ request for a warrant as “unjust persecution of a global religious leader,” accusing authorities of “excessive and coercive measures” lacking humanitarian consideration.
The church, which claims about 10 million followers worldwide, is best known for its mass wedding ceremonies, where thousands of couples from around the globe are married in stadium-sized events.
AFP
