Seoul: Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja attended a court hearing on Wednesday as the Seoul Central District Court prepared to decide whether to issue a warrant for her arrest. The charges against her include bribery, with links to former first lady Kim Keon Hee.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the hearing followed a request by special counsel Min Joong-ki's team for a warrant based on allegations of violations of the Political Funds Act and anti-graft laws, as well as charges of subornation of evidence destruction and embezzlement. The court is expected to announce its decision late Monday or early Tuesday.
Han was seen entering the court in a wheelchair with her eyes closed and did not respond to questions from reporters. She faces accusations of collaborating with a former church official, identified only by the surname Yun, to provide 100 million won (approximately US$72,400) to People Power Party (PPP) Representative Kweon Seong-dong in 2022. This was allegedly in exchange for political favors for the Church in the event of Yoon Suk Yeol's successful presidential election bid. Yoon subsequently won the election.
Further allegations against Han include the gifting of a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to Yoon's wife, Kim, as part of efforts to seek favors. She is also accused of embezzling church funds to purchase these gifts and of instructing Yun to destroy evidence ahead of a police investigation into her reported overseas gambling activities.
The arrest warrant does not cover claims that the Church had its followers join the PPP en masse to support Kweon's leadership bid in 2023. The special counsel team expressed the necessity to clarify the specific dates of membership sign-ups and to verify whether those members held voting rights.
A separate hearing for Han's former chief of staff, identified as Jeong, is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the same court. Jeong is accused of being an accomplice in most of the crimes attributed to Han.
The Unification Church has refuted claims of Han's involvement, asserting that the alleged acts were solely the actions of the former church official. While Han attended the questioning voluntarily on Wednesday, she had previously ignored three summonses from the special counsel team, citing health concerns following a heart procedure. The team suggested her recent appearance was influenced by Kweon's arrest on charges of receiving the 100 million won.