South Korea court gives Unification Church leader 2 years prison

SEOUL

Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han, on the wheelchair, arrives for the sentencing hearing on allegations of bribery and political funding, at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Pool Photo)

A South Korean court sentenced the leader of the secretive and powerful Unification Church on Aug. 31 to two years in prison on charges of bribing officials, including the then president’s wife.

Han Hak-ja, 83, was accused of providing luxury items, including a designer handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee while her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, was president, in an attempt to secure policy favors.

She arrived on Aug. 31 for sentencing, at which prosecutors had sought a 13-year term, in a wheelchair, wearing hospital pajamas and a surgical mask, surrounded by aides.

The Unification Church has a range of significant business interests, including media, education and food distribution, and has long drawn scrutiny over its political ties in South Korea.

In a statement to AFP, the church vowed to appeal, saying it disagreed with the court’s ruling.

Other allegations against Han include providing illegal funds to a once prominent ex-lawmaker Kweon Seon-dong, who is now in prison for receiving bribes.

Founded in 1954 by Han’s late husband, Moon Sun-myung, the Unification Church has long drawn controversy over teachings that regard Moon as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Han, revered by church members as the “True Mother”, took the helm of the church after Moon’s death in 2012. She was arrested in September 2025 in connection with a bribery case involving the former first lady.

The Unification Church is best known for its mass wedding ceremonies, in which couples of different nationalities are matched, held at its headquarters in South Korea.