Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Unification Church, was sentenced to prison for two years after being convicted of political corruption, including allegations of illegal political funding and collusion with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. The court criticized the church's leadership for attempting to expand its influence through political connections, stating that the severity of the crimes was significant.
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 27, presided over by Judge Woo In-seong, sentenced Han to one year in prison for violating political funding laws and another year for violating the Anti-Graft Act and embezzlement.
Previously, the special prosecutor's team led by Kim Min-kyu had sought a total of 13 years in prison for Han, including five years for the political funding violation and eight years for other offenses.
However, Han, who has been undergoing trial while out of custody due to health issues, was not immediately taken into custody following the sentencing. The suspension of his detention will remain in effect until September 2.
Other Unification Church officials who were indicted alongside Han also received prison sentences. Former Unification Church World Headquarters President Yoon Young-ho was sentenced to six months in prison, while Jeong Mo, Han's former secretary, received an eight-month prison sentence with a two-year probation for violating political funding laws and another eight-month sentence with a two-year probation for violating the Anti-Graft Act and embezzlement. Yoon's spouse, Lee Mo, the former head of the church's finance department, was also sentenced to six months in prison with a one-year probation.
The court found most of the key allegations of collusion between Han and Unification Church executives to be guilty, as presented by the special prosecutor.
Specifically, the court acknowledged that Han and Jeong conspired with Yoon to deliver 100 million won in illegal political funds to Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the National Assembly, in January 2022, requesting support for the Unification Church from the Yoon administration.
Additionally, they were found guilty of soliciting support for church projects by delivering luxury gifts worth 75 million won, including a necklace and a Chanel bag, to Kim Geon-hee through Jeon Seong-bae in July 2022. They also embezzled church funds to cover the costs of these gifts.
Furthermore, the court ruled that Han and others violated political funding laws by donating 134 million won from church funds to members of the National Assembly affiliated with the ruling party through a method known as 'split donations' in March 2022.
However, the court acquitted them of embezzlement charges related to the false accounting of church funds sent to five district accounts for missionary support, stating that the mere act of transferring funds did not demonstrate intent for illegal gain.
Some charges related to embezzlement and evidence destruction were dismissed. These included allegations that Han and others directed evidence destruction after obtaining information about an investigation into casino gambling in October 2022, and that they embezzled 787 million won in church funds under the pretext of providing election funds to foreign politicians in Nepal and Senegal between May and July 2022.
Throughout the sentencing, the judge sternly admonished the defendants. Judge Woo stated, "The defendants exploited the Unification Church's substantial financial resources to view the 20th presidential election as a critical opportunity for expanding their influence. They supported candidates favorable to them and committed these crimes to secure national support and political influence after the government was established."
He added, "Regardless of whether the church's requests were actually fulfilled, the mere attempt at such collusion severely undermined the fair execution of national policies and the public's trust in democratic politics. Using funds raised from church members for collusion with political forces rather than for missionary purposes is a serious offense."
Regarding Han, the judge stated, "As the highest decision-maker at the Unification Church, a prison sentence is unavoidable." However, he noted that Han's approval of the crimes, which were primarily planned by Yoon, and the fact that he acted to expand the church's influence rather than for personal gain, as well as his full restitution of the embezzled amounts, were considered mitigating factors.
Immediately following the verdict, the Unification Church issued an official statement announcing its intention to appeal. The church expressed deep apologies to the public for causing significant concern and disappointment but asserted that the court's judgment regarding Han's awareness and approval of illegal purposes was difficult to accept.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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