[Anchor]
Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han, pointed to as the pinnacle of the collusion between politics and religion under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, has been sentenced to two years in prison in the first trial. The court sharply rebuked her for treating the presidential election as an opportunity to expand her church's influence and colluding with political forces.
Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.
[Reporter]
Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han, whose execution of detention has been suspended for the seventh time due to fracture surgery and other reasons, attended the first-trial sentencing hearing.
Han entered the courtroom without answering any questions from the press.
[Hak Ja Han / Leader of the Unification Church : (Do you still think former Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho acted alone?) …….]
Accepting most of the core indictment facts, the court sentenced Han to two years in prison and also handed down guilty verdicts against former Chief of Staff Jung Won-joo and former Global Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho, who were indicted alongside her.
The court ruled that Han's instructions and approval were involved in all of the following: handing over 100 million won in cash to then-People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong around the time of the 20th presidential election, making "split donations" totaling 144 million won to lawmakers belonging to the People Power Party, and delivering a Chanel bag and a Graff necklace worth 75 million won to Kim Keon-hee through the shaman Geonjin-beopsa.
The court sharply criticized her, stating, "The crime was committed with the objective of expanding political influence by supporting a favorable presidential candidate, and her culpability is not light."
However, the court added, "We took into consideration in the sentencing that former Director Yoon Young-ho appeared to have led the crime, and that she has worked for world peace as a religious leader."
Although a prison sentence was handed down, Han was not immediately taken into custody as her execution of detention is currently suspended. Immediately after the ruling, Han's legal team applied for another extension of the suspension period, and a decision on whether she will be detained is expected soon.
The Unification Church stated that Han's conspiracy cannot be acknowledged and that it will appeal. The special counsel is also expected to appeal, as the sentence falls far short of the 13 years demanded.
(Camera: Yang Hyun-chul, Video Editing: Kim Jin-won)
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