[Anchor]

Hak Ja Han, the head of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), who has been pointed to as the peak of "church-state collusion" with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, has been sentenced to two years in prison in her first trial. The court rebuked Han, stating, "She viewed the presidential election as an opportunity to expand her religious influence and colluded with political forces," but did not take her into custody in the courtroom.

Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.

[Reporter]

Han Hak-ja, head of the Unification Church, whose execution of detention was suspended for the seventh time due to fracture surgery and other health reasons, attended her first-instance sentencing hearing.

Han entered the courtroom without answering any questions from reporters.

[Han Hak-ja / Head of the Unification Church : (Do you still think former Director Yoon Young-ho acted alone?) …….]

Acknowledging most of the core indictment facts, the court sentenced Han to two years in prison, while also handing down guilty verdicts to former Chief of Staff Jeong Won-ju and former Global Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho, who were indicted alongside her.

The court ruled that Han directed and approved all aspects of the crimes: handing over 100 million won in cash to then-People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong around the 20th presidential election, making "split donations" totaling 144 million won to lawmakers affiliated with the People Power Party, and delivering a Chanel bag and a Graff necklace worth 75 million won to Kim Keon-hee through the shaman known as Geonjin-beopsa.

The court rebuked the defendants, stating, "This crime was committed for the purpose of expanding political influence by supporting a favorable presidential candidate, and the culpability is not light."

However, the court added, "We factored into the sentencing that former Global Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho appeared to have led the crime, and that [Han] has strived for world peace as a religious leader."

Although a prison sentence was handed down, Han was not immediately detained as she was under a suspension of detention. Immediately after the sentencing, Han's side filed another application to extend the suspension period, and a decision on whether to detain her is expected soon.

The Unification Church stated that it cannot accept the recognition of Han's complicity and will appeal, while the special counsel is also expected to appeal, as the sentence fell far short of the 13-year prison term demanded by the prosecution.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Yang Hyun-chul | Video by Kim Jin-won