Unification Church Leader Sentenced to 2 Years for Bribery

A South Korean court sentenced Han Hakja, the 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church, to two years in prison on Monday for bribery and illegal political donations. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Han of providing luxury gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in an attempt to secure political favors for the church during the administration of her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Han, the widow of the church's late founder, Sun Myung Moon, arrived at the court in a wheelchair for the sentencing. The court found that Han, through a church intermediary, gave Kim luxury items including a diamond necklace and Chanel bags worth approximately 83 million won, or about $60,000, after Yoon's election in 2022. The bribes were funneled through a senior Unification Church official, Yoon Youngho, who is already serving an 18-month prison sentence for his role in the episode. On Monday, the court added six months to his sentence for additional violations of political donation laws.