South Korea: Unification Church leader stands trial over bribery charges linked to ex-first lady

Seoul, Dec 1 A court began the first hearing of a trial of Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja on Monday over allegations that she bribed former first lady Kim Keon Hee and Representative Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party in exchange for favours.

Han is currently standing trial on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the anti-graft law for her alleged involvement in gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to Kim, the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

She is also accused of colluding with a former church official, Yun Young-ho, to hand 100 million won (USD 68,000) to Kweon in 2022 in exchange for gaining favours for the church, Yonhap News Agency reported.

During the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Han's legal team rejected the allegations made by special counsel Min Joong-ki, arguing they solely relied on testimonies from the former church official.

Han attended the hearing in a wheelchair, dressed in a black coat. A long line formed outside the courtroom earlier in the day as Unification Church followers arrived to watch the trial.

"The prosecution has rashly framed Han as an accomplice to Yun's actions, which were based on his political ambitions," her lawyers said.

They argued that the luxury gifts to Kim were prepared by Yun, claiming that Han neither made any instructions nor received any briefing about them.

The bags and the jewellery are at the centre of allegations that the former first lady took bribes in exchange for her help in gaining business favours for the church following Yoon's election in March 2022.

Last month, Kim admitted to receiving the Chanel bags from an intermediary but denied that they were in exchange for favours for the church.

Meanwhile, the special counsel team stressed the gravity of the alleged acts, noting the church illegally used donations made by followers.

Han was temporarily released from detention last month to undergo eye surgery, but returned to custody three days later after a court rejected an extension of her release.

A court hearing on Han's bail request was set to take place in the afternoon.

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