Han Hak-ja Jailed: How A Church Leader Became Entangled In South Korea’s Bribery Scandal

A South Korean court has jailed Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja over bribery allegations linked to former First Lady Kim Keon Hee. The ruling adds fresh pressure to a case that has already drawn intense political attention in Seoul.

The court’s detention decision centres on alleged bribery linked to Kim, who has faced scrutiny in separate investigations. Han leads the Unification Church, one of South Korea’s best-known religious organisations, and the case has widened debate over money, political power and influence.

Why Has Han Hak-ja Been Jailed?

The head of South Korea's secretive Shincheonji Church was arrested on Wednesday over suspicions of attempting to influence elections, as authorities expanded their probe into allegations that the group illegally recruited thousands of members into the conservative People Power Party.

Shincheonji has rejected the allegations against its 95-year-old founder, Lee Man-hee, who established the church in the 1980s and describes himself as a messenger of Jesus. The church says it has around 200,000 followers.

A special team comprising prosecutors and police has been investigating alleged connections between religious organisations, including Shincheonji and the Unification Church, and politicians since January. The investigation forms part of wider probes launched under South Korea's current liberal government into the presidency of former conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon was removed from office and later convicted of rebellion following his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024.

What Is The Unification Church?

Investigators suspect that Lee used regional branches of the church to mobilise more than 50,000 followers to join the People Power Party (PPP) between 2021 and 2024.

The alleged effort was intended to influence the party's presidential and legislative primary elections. Investigators also suspect that the campaign included attempts to support Yoon's presidential bid in exchange for favourable treatment for the church, including approvals to expand its facilities.

Han is the leader of the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which was founded by her husband, Moon, in 1954.

Moon described himself as a messiah and developed religious teachings based on new interpretations of the Bible alongside conservative views on family values. Under his leadership, the church grew into an international movement with millions of followers and extensive business interests. It became particularly known for its mass wedding ceremonies, in which thousands of couples often from different countries are paired, as per Washington Post.

An appeals court sentenced Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, to four years in prison in April after finding her guilty of several offences, including accepting luxury gifts from an official associated with the Unification Church.

Yoon was ousted from the presidency in April 2025 after being impeached over his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024, which followed a confrontation with the liberal-led legislature. He was arrested in July 2025 and is currently facing several trials.

Yoon has appealed a life sentence handed down in a rebellion case, as well as a separate 30-year prison sentence linked to allegations that he ordered drone flights over North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, in an attempt to escalate tensions and create grounds for imposing martial law domestically.