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Unification Church Matriarch Han Hak‑ja on Trial Over Alleged Luxury Gifts and Political Payments

Key points: Han Hak‑ja, 82, leader of the Unification Church, is on trial accused of giving luxury gifts worth about 82 million won to former first lady Kim Keon Hee and of arranging cash payments to influence politicians. Her defence says a former church official acted independently; prosecutors call the allegations "extremely egregious." A separate trial on alleged party‑manipulation begins on December 9. Han was briefly released for eye surgery but is back in pre‑trial detention.

03:04 PM, 12/01/2025Politics
Unification Church Matriarch Han Hak‑ja on Trial Over Alleged Luxury Gifts and Political Payments

Han Hak‑ja, the 82‑year‑old leader of the Unification Church who is widely revered by followers as the "holy mother," appeared in court this week facing allegations she provided luxury gifts to South Korea's former first lady and arranged illicit political payments.

Prosecutors allege Han gave designer items — including a handbag and a diamond necklace — valued at about 82 million won (roughly $56,000) to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. They also say Han conspired to pay 100 million won to a lawmaker in 2022 to curry favour with then‑presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. Han has been charged in multiple cases and will face a separate trial on December 9 on accusations she violated the Political Parties Act.

Han entered the courtroom in a wheelchair and wearing a face mask. Her defence team denied all charges, telling the court that a former church official acted independently in arranging the gifts and that Han neither ordered nor knew of unlawful political or monetary transactions. Prosecutors rejected that account, calling the alleged conduct "extremely egregious," and said some donations from financially strained church members were diverted for bail payments and political ties.

Background and wider implications

Han succeeded her husband, Sun Myung Moon, as the movement's leader after he founded the assembly in 1954. Moon claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, and over decades the Unification Church grew into a global movement known for mass weddings and a hierarchical internal culture. Members and critics have often used the derogatory nickname "Moonies."

The organisation built a broad commercial footprint spanning construction, food, education and media, and drew scrutiny for its fundraising practices and political connections. Earlier this year, Japan moved to dissolve the Unification Church's Japanese chapter following scrutiny that intensified after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, whose killer was reported to resent the group.

Prosecutors also allege Han directed more than 2,000 church members to register with the People Power Party ahead of an internal convention in an attempt to influence the party's outcome. Han was briefly released from custody in November for eye surgery but has since been returned to pre‑trial detention.

Note: Han and her lawyers categorically deny the charges and say the reported actions were carried out without her knowledge.

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