Unification Church Leader Hak Ja Han Gets Two-Year Prison Term in Seoul
A Seoul court sentenced Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han to two years in prison for corruption, embezzlement and destroying evidence.
A South Korean court has sentenced Hak Ja Han, the leader of the Unification Church, to two years in prison on corruption charges. The ruling was delivered on Monday by the Seoul Central District Court.
Han, the widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, was arrested last year. Prosecutors accused her of instructing church officials to bribe the wife of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol and a prominent politician close to him. She was also charged with embezzling church funds and ordering the destruction of evidence related to her gambling activities in the United States.
The court's public affairs office confirmed the sentencing. Han, who is over 80 years old, was tried without detention after her arrest warrant's execution was suspended until early September due to health concerns. Immediately after the ruling, she was taken back to a hospital.
The case is linked to a separate conviction involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee. In January, she received a 20-month prison term for accepting gifts, including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag, from the Unification Church. An appeals court later increased her sentence to four years in April, adding convictions for receiving another Chanel bag and stock price manipulation.