Han Hak-ja, who is accused of bribing former First Lady Kim Keon Hee with luxury gifts including Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace, went on trial in South Korea on Monday.
The corruption case is one of several investigations launched by special prosecutors into ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife following Yoon’s declaration of martial law in December 2024 and the political upheaval that followed.
Prosecutors say Han, head of the religious movement now known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, offered Kim two Chanel bags, a diamond necklace and wild ginseng in exchange for business and political favours. Kim has acknowledged receiving the handbags through a broker but denies any quid pro quo.
Han is also accused of bribing one of Yoon’s close confidants with cash and helping Yoon win the 2022 presidential election by mobilising church members, allegedly in return for his support of church projects.
The 82-year-old attended Monday’s hearing in a wheelchair, wearing a white mask. She rejected the allegations as “false information,” insisting that any wrongdoing was carried out by a senior church official who is also on trial.
Prosecutors argued Han misused donations made by church members, saying they were raised with their “blood and sweat” and then channelled into illicit lobbying schemes.
“Defendant Han Hak-ja is the absolute power holder of the Unification Church at the top… Not a single penny of illegal funds or lobbying can be moved without her approval,” a prosecutor told the court while displaying a chart of the church’s alleged structure.
“Through collusion between politics and government, which is prohibited by the Constitution, donations were turned into a tool for buying power,” he added.
Han’s lawyer, Kwon Oh-seok, argued that a church official acted alone out of “political ambition” and without Han’s knowledge.
The case drew large public interest, with long queues outside the courthouse. Dozens of church members and supporters were moved to an overflow room, and others were directed to a separate room where the hearing was broadcast.
Han was temporarily released from detention last month on medical grounds but later returned to jail. She has again requested bail citing health concerns.
The Unification Church, meanwhile, faces mounting scrutiny at home and overseas. Critics accuse it of being a dangerous cult with opaque finances and coercive practices.
In Japan, a Tokyo court has ordered the church’s local branch to disband following a scandal involving fundraising practices and its links to the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The church has vowed to appeal.
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