Unification Church leader arrested over gifts to ex-first lady

Han Hak-ja, head of the Unification Church, is escorted to Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Tuesday, in a wheelchair as prosecutors seek her arrest in a corruption case involving ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yonhap

The leader of the Unification Church, the sprawling religious empire built by the late Rev. Moon Sun-myung, was taken into custody Tuesday in a widening corruption probe tied to ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee. The arrest marks another dramatic turn in a scandal that has gripped the country’s political and religious establishment.

Prosecutors allege that 82-year-old Han Hak-ja conspired with a former church official named Yun to deliver 100 million won ($72,400) to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in 2022. In return, Kweon was expected to help secure favors for the church if Yoon Suk Yeol won the presidential election, which he did later that year.

Han also allegedly ordered church officials to provide luxury gifts, including high-end handbags and jewelry, to Kim as part of a broader effort to win preferential treatment for the church in business deals.

The church has denied these claims, insisting any gifts were coordinated independently and not under Han’s direction.

Authorities justified the arrest warrant on the grounds that Han might destroy evidence. Han appeared in Seoul Central District Court in a wheelchair, and declined to answer questions from reporters.

The case is part of a broader set of investigations into alleged corruption during Yoon Suk Yeol's presidency.