Unification Church Leader Sentenced for Bribery Involving Former First Lady
Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Unification Church, received a two-year prison sentence for bribing former First Lady Kim Keon Hee with luxury gifts. Kim has also been convicted for accepting these gifts in the bribery case.
Sources
Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, has been sentenced to two years in prison for bribing South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, with luxury gifts valued at 80 million won (approximately $57,900). This case marks the first confirmed incident of the church attempting to buy political influence, highlighted by the discovery of $19 million in cash found in Han's safe. Kim, who previously received a 20-month jail sentence for her role in the bribery scheme, admitted to accepting Chanel bags but claimed she returned them unused.
Han Hak Ja, leader of the Unification Church, was sentenced to two years in prison for bribery involving former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who has also been convicted of receiving gifts from the church and was sentenced to four years in prison after an appeals court increased her original 20-month sentence. Han, 83, denied giving gifts, including a designer handbag, and her lawyers plan to appeal the ruling. The Unification Church, known for its secrecy and mass weddings, was founded in the 1950s and has faced controversies, including connections to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.