'Moonies' church leader jailed for two years over bribery offences
Han Hak-ja, 83, gave South Korea's former first lady two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, a court found.
The leader of the Unification Church, a controversial religious movement, has received a two-year prison sentence for bribery and other political funding offenses in South Korea.
A court determined that Han Hak-ja's church provided Kim Keon Hee, the spouse of the ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, with two Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace. The combined value of these items was 80 million won ($57,900; £42,500).
Earlier this year, Kim herself was sentenced to 20 months in jail for accepting bribes from the church.
Han, the 83-year-old widow of the Unification Church's founder Sun Myung Moon, consistently denied the accusations, labeling them "false."
A special counsel team assigned to the case stated that Kim received the luxury goods from the church between April and July 2022, in exchange for business and political favors.
Prosecutors indicated that this investigation marked the first time authorities confirmed the church's attempt to buy political influence. They also released photographs of $19 million (£14 million) in cash discovered in Han's personal safe.
South Korea's former first lady admitted to receiving the Chanel bags but claimed she returned them unused.
Kim issued a public apology during her questioning last August, stating, "I am truly sorry that a nobody like me has caused concern to the people."
Formally known as The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the Unification Church was established in South Korea in the 1950s by Sun Myung Moon, who declared himself the messiah.
The church is perhaps most recognized for its mass weddings, where thousands of couples were married by Han and her late husband and founder Sun Myung Moon in stadium ceremonies.
Critics have characterized the group as "cult-like." Lawyers have accused it of coercing devotees, colloquially known as "Moonies" after its founder, to donate substantial sums of money. "Moonies" is a term used by critics that many church members find offensive.
The Unification Church gained significant attention in Japan following the assassination of the country's former leader Shinzo Abe.
The alleged assassin blamed the group for his family's bankruptcy and harbored resentment against Abe for reportedly promoting it.
The church has boasted extensive connections to politicians in Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington. Various politicians sent video messages to its 2021 event, congratulating the church's new think tank.
This list included US President Donald Trump, former US Vice-President Mike Pence, Shinzo Abe, as well as the mayors of Seoul and Busan.
The group is prohibited in certain parts of the world, including Singapore. In Japan, it has been ordered to dissolve.