Unification Church leader sentenced to two years in South Korean influence peddling case

A South Korean court sentenced Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja to a combined two years in prison on Monday over political funding violations and bribery charges tied to alleged efforts to secure influence with former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration.

The Seoul Central District Court found that the 83 year old Han was involved in channeling money to politicians and providing luxury goods, including Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, according to the court’s ruling.

Han leads the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, more widely known as the Unification Church, and was indicted in October 2025 by a special prosecutor team investigating allegations connected to Yoon and Kim. The case formed part of a broader set of investigations launched after Yoon was removed from office following his declaration of martial law in December 2024.

The court sentenced Han to one year in prison for violating the Political Funds Act, a charge that included her involvement in providing 100 million won, roughly 72,934 dollars, to a then ruling party lawmaker ahead of the 2022 presidential election. Judges handed down a separate one year sentence for her role in arranging luxury gifts for former first lady Kim through an intermediary.

The presiding judge said the offenses were committed to leverage the Unification Church’s financial resources in support of a favorable candidate during the 20th presidential election, an event the church viewed as a significant opportunity to expand its influence, and that once that candidate won, the goal shifted to securing support for church related policies and maintaining lasting political influence.

Han denied any wrongdoing throughout the proceedings, telling the court she had no interest in politics and that subordinates had acted without her knowledge. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification said it plans to appeal the ruling, disputing the court’s conclusions. In a statement, the church said it cannot accept the court’s finding that Han directed the actions in question or knowingly approved their unlawful purpose.

Han appeared in court in a wheelchair and is not currently in detention after her legal team secured a suspension of detention on health grounds, an arrangement set to expire Wednesday.

Prosecutors had sought a combined 13 year prison term for Han in July, characterizing the alleged conduct as an unlawful alliance between religion and politics that undermined representative democracy. Kim has acknowledged receiving the Chanel bags through an intermediary but has denied any connection to alleged lobbying efforts by the Unification Church or any exchange of favors.

Han rejected all charges against her, arguing that any contact with politicians or provision of money and gifts stemmed from unauthorized actions taken by a former Unification Church official acting on his own political ambitions. At her final hearing in July, Han, known to followers as True Mother, apologized for causing concern as head of the church but maintained she never sought political power. She told the court she does not pursue power through money and said she had devoted her life to promoting peace for humanity, adding in an earlier statement that she held no interest in South Korean politics and was known instead as a mother of peace.