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Unification Church Leader on Trial: Bribery Scandal Shakes South Korean Politics

A major bribery trial has begun in Seoul involving the leader of the Unification Church. Han Hak-ja faces charges for allegedly bribing a former first lady with luxury goods and a lawmaker with cash. Her legal team fiercely denies the accusations, calling the prosecution's case weak. The scandal highlights serious allegations of corruption linking a religious group to South Korea's political elite.

Key Points: Unification Church Leader Han Hak-ja Bribery Trial Begins in Seoul

  • Han Hak-ja is accused of gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to former first lady Kim Keon Hee
  • She is also charged with arranging a 100 million won cash payment to lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong
  • Her defense argues the case relies solely on a former church official's testimony
  • The prosecution alleges the church illegally used follower donations for these bribes
2 min read

South Korea: Unification Church leader stands trial over bribery charges linked to ex-first lady

Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja stands trial for allegedly bribing ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee with luxury goods and a lawmaker with cash for political favors.

"The prosecution has rashly framed Han as an accomplice to Yun's actions, which were based on his political ambitions. - Han Hak-ja's legal team"

Seoul, Dec 1

A court began the first hearing of a trial of Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja on Monday over allegations that she bribed former first lady Kim Keon Hee and Representative Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party in exchange for favours.

Han is currently standing trial on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the anti-graft law for her alleged involvement in gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to Kim, the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

She is also accused of colluding with a former church official, Yun Young-ho, to hand 100 million won (USD 68,000) to Kweon in 2022 in exchange for gaining favours for the church, Yonhap News Agency reported.

During the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Han's legal team rejected the allegations made by special counsel Min Joong-ki, arguing they solely relied on testimonies from the former church official.

Han attended the hearing in a wheelchair, dressed in a black coat. A long line formed outside the courtroom earlier in the day as Unification Church followers arrived to watch the trial.

"The prosecution has rashly framed Han as an accomplice to Yun's actions, which were based on his political ambitions," her lawyers said.

They argued that the luxury gifts to Kim were prepared by Yun, claiming that Han neither made any instructions nor received any briefing about them.

The bags and the jewellery are at the centre of allegations that the former first lady took bribes in exchange for her help in gaining business favours for the church following Yoon's election in March 2022.

Last month, Kim admitted to receiving the Chanel bags from an intermediary but denied that they were in exchange for favours for the church.

Meanwhile, the special counsel team stressed the gravity of the alleged acts, noting the church illegally used donations made by followers.

Han was temporarily released from detention last month to undergo eye surgery, but returned to custody three days later after a court rejected an extension of her release.

A court hearing on Han's bail request was set to take place in the afternoon.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Chanel bags and luxury necklaces... using followers' donations for this? Shameful. Reminds me of some scandals we've seen here too. Faith should not be exploited for political gain.
R
Rohit P
The former first lady admitted to getting the bags but says it wasn't for favours? Sounds familiar. When will powerful people be held truly accountable? The common citizen always pays the price.
S
Sarah B
Reading this from an Indian perspective, it's interesting to see another Asian democracy grappling with these issues. The legal process seems transparent though – public hearings, special counsel. We could learn from that.
V
Vikram M
The leader attended in a wheelchair and church followers lined up outside. This shows how deeply people are connected to these institutions, even when leaders are accused. Blind faith is a problem everywhere.
K
Karthik V
A respectful criticism: While the article is detailed, it would help to know more about the Unification Church's size and influence in Korea for context. How does this compare to similar institutions in India in terms of political reach?
M
Michael C
USD 68,000 in cash plus luxury gifts... the scale is shocking. It's a stark reminder that corruption isn't a problem of any one country. Hope the trial is fair and not influenced by the church

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