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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Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into the X social media network, they said on Tuesday.
Ukraine has agreed with Western partners on a plan under which repeated Russian violations of any future ceasefire would trigger swift, co-ordinated military responses by Europe and the United States, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Air China has announced that it will operate around 70,000 flights during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, as China prepares for another surge of holiday travel during its most important annual celebration.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
A daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in Richmond, one of London’s most affluent and traditionally quiet districts, has heightened security concerns among residents and local businesses.
Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into the X social media network, they said on Tuesday.
Ukraine has agreed with Western partners on a plan under which repeated Russian violations of any future ceasefire would trigger swift, co-ordinated military responses by Europe and the United States, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Emergency teams in eastern China are racing to locate survivors after a bridge under construction collapsed in Jiangsu province, leaving two people dead and three missing.
Mexico said it will stop sending oil to Cuba as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Caribbean nation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 3rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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