US EditionUnification Church Leader Arrested in South Korea for Alleged Role in Bribing Former First Lady
Han Hak-ja is charged with bribing political figures including a former first lady and a lawmaker to influence President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, officials said.
- Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja was placed under arrest Tuesday in South Korea amid a prosecutors' bribery probe tied to former first lady Kim Keon Hee.
- Prosecutors allege Han ordered luxury gifts, including a diamond necklace, to Kim in 2022 to curry favor with Yoon Suk Yeol, and colluded with a former church official to deliver 100 million won.
- The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant on grounds that Han could tamper with evidence, prosecutors said, after special counsel Min Joong-ki sought it last week on graft and embezzlement charges.
- Her arrest marks the first time both a former president and first lady are jailed, as Kim was indicted last month and Kweon was detained last Wednesday.
- The Unification Church's global reach and controversial history frame why authorities are expanding the inquiry, as investigators seek to verify claims it enlisted thousands for the PPP to support Kweon's 2023 bid.
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Luxury gifts, bribes and a former first lady: Unification Church leader arrested in South Korea
SEOUL, Sept 23 — The Unification Church leader was arrested today in South Korea over allegations of bribery linked to a former first lady, including luxury gifts, prosecutors said.“The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant on the ground she poses the risk of tampering with evidence,” the prosecution said in a statement.Han Hak-ja, 82, was questioned last week over her alleged role in bribing former first lady Kim Keon Hee and a promin…
Han Hak Ja (82), president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church), was arrested by the South Korean special prosecutor's office on the 23rd on suspicion of involvement in the illegal giving of money and gifts to the wife and close aides of former President Yoon Seok-yeol. A long-time reporter covering the religious organization...
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