A court has revoked the bail of Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Unification Church, for violating conditions that restricted her residence. The court also ordered the forfeiture of her 200 million won bail bond.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 13, presided over by judges Kim Mu-shin, Lee Woo-hee, and Yoo Dong-kyun, held a hearing on November 3 regarding the appeal of Han, who is charged with violations of the Political Funding Law. The court decided to revoke her bail.
The judges explained that there are concerns about the defendant fleeing or tampering with evidence, and they acknowledged the violation of the specified conditions. They also stated that the 200 million won bail submitted by Han would be forfeited by court order.
Previously, on October 19, the court granted Han's bail request citing health reasons. However, the bail conditions strictly limited her residence to the Asan Medical Center in Seoul and prohibited contact with anyone other than designated medical personnel, lawyers, and aides, along with requiring a cash deposit of 200 million won.
Recently, reports emerged revealing that Han had frequently traveled to the Cheon Jeong Gung, a Unification Church facility located about 51 kilometers away in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, raising concerns about her compliance with the bail conditions.
The special prosecutor's team, led by Kim Geon-hee, requested the immediate revocation of bail during the hearing based on these reports.
The special prosecutor noted, "The defendant's repeated visits to Cheon Jeong Gung constitute a direct violation of the bail conditions," and pointed out that there is a significant likelihood she may have contacted witnesses scheduled to testify in her trial, despite the court's prohibition on such interactions.
In response, Han's attorney stated, "While we understood the residence restriction, we did not realize that leaving the premises was also prohibited." The attorney argued that the only feasible location for her to rest was Cheon Jeong Gung, emphasizing that there was no intent to tamper with evidence. However, the court did not accept this explanation.
Han is facing trial for allegedly conspiring with former Unification Church leader Yoon Young-ho to solicit support from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in January 2022, including the transfer of 100 million won in political funds to then-lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong. She is also accused of soliciting high-value gifts for Kim Geon-hee through Jeon Seong-bae, known as "Geon-jin Beopsa," and of distributing over 100 million won in Unification Church funds to lawmakers from the People Power Party in March of the same year.
Earlier, the first trial court sentenced Han to two years in prison in August after finding her guilty of major charges.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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