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'Moonies' Leader Is Going to Prison
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- Hak Ja Han, leader of the Unification Church and widow of its founder, was sentenced to two years in prison by a South Korean court for bribing former first lady Kim Keon Hee and other corruption charges.
- Han was convicted of violating political funds laws, bribery, and embezzling church funds, including giving luxury goods to Kim and 100 million won to lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong before President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration.
- The bribery case marks the first confirmed instance of the Unification Church attempting to buy political influence, with prosecutors revealing $19 million in cash found in Han's personal safe.
- Despite the sentence, Han remains out of prison due to a health-related suspension of her arrest, and the church has announced plans to appeal the ruling while issuing a public apology for the scandal.
- The Unification Church, founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, has faced legal challenges internationally, including a Tokyo court revoking its legal status over manipulative practices last year.
