Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han, who was indicted and detained on charges of political-religious collusion with the Yoon Suk-yeol government, has been sentenced to prison in her first trial.
Judge Woo In-sung, presiding over Criminal Settlement Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court, sentenced Han to one year in prison for violating the Political Funds Act and another one year in prison for violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act during her sentencing hearing today (August 31).
Previously, the independent counsel team led by Min Joong-ki had demanded a five-year prison sentence for the charge of violating the Political Funds Act and an eight-year prison sentence for the remaining crimes.
Yun Young-ho, the former head of the church's global headquarters who was indicted along with her, was sentenced to six months in prison.
Jeong, a former chief of staff to Han, was sentenced to eight months in prison with two years of probation for violating the Political Funds Act, and eight months in prison with two years of probation for violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
Lee, a former head of finance for the Unification Church and the wife of former global headquarters head Yun, received a sentence of six months in prison with one year of probation.
The court found Han and the other defendants guilty of all key charges.
First, the court acknowledged the charge that Han and Jeong conspired with former global headquarters head Yun to deliver 100 million won in political funds to former People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in January 2022, requesting government support for the Unification Church under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
The court also found them guilty of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act by handing over an expensive necklace and a Chanel bag to Kim Keon-hee through Jeon Sung-bae, widely known as the shaman "Geonjin-beopsa," around July 2022 to lobby for pending church issues.
The court stated that the charges of embezzling Unification Church funds during this process were also proven.
Furthermore, the court recognized as guilty the indictment charge that in March 2022, Han, former global headquarters head Yun, and Jeong split and donated 144 million won in Unification Church institutional funds to lawmakers affiliated with the People Power Party.
However, the court acquitted them of occupational embezzlement regarding the false accounting and remittance of 210 million won in church funds to five regional church districts under the guise of missionary support fees to fund those donations, ruling that an intent to unlawfully acquire property could not be established.
Charges including instigating the destruction of evidence—where Han and Jeong allegedly obtained investigative information regarding overseas casino gambling involving Han around October 2022 and instructed former global headquarters head Yun to destroy evidence—as well as embezzling 787 million won between May and July 2022 by channeling church funds as political donations to politicians in Nepal and Senegal, were dismissed.
The court reasoned that these charges fell outside the scope of investigation under the Special Prosecutor Act on Kim Keon-hee.
(Produced by SBS Digital News | Photo: Yonhap News)
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