বাংলাA South Korean court has sentenced Han Hak-ja, leader of the controversial Unification Church, to two years in prison for bribery and political funding-related offenses. The Unification Church leader sentence has drawn renewed attention to the organization’s political connections.
According to court information, the church led by Han Hak-ja gave two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace to Kim Keon-hee, the wife of ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the country’s former first lady. The gifts were worth around 80 million won in total.
Earlier this year, Kim Keon-hee was sentenced to 20 months in prison for allegedly accepting bribes from the church. Han Hak-ja, 83, has denied the allegations and repeatedly described the accusations as false. The Unification Church leader sentence comes after an investigation into the organization’s political and financial activities.
A special counsel team said Kim accepted luxury items from the church between April and July 2022 in exchange for business and political benefits. Prosecutors said the investigation provided evidence that the church’s money and gifts had been used to influence politics.
Investigators also found a large amount of cash in Han Hak-ja’s personal safe during the probe. Kim acknowledged receiving the Chanel bags but said she did not use them and later returned them. The Unification Church leader sentence has also intensified scrutiny of the organization’s international political relationships.
The Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was founded in South Korea in the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon. The organization is widely known for mass wedding ceremonies and has faced controversy over its activities in several countries.
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