In a dramatic turn for one of South Korea’s most controversial religious organizations, the leader of the Unification Church, Han Hak-ja, was arrested early Tuesday morning, September 23, 2025, as part of a widening bribery probe that has ensnared the country’s former first lady, a prominent lawmaker, and the already-imprisoned ex-president. The arrest, authorized by the Seoul Central District Court, marks a new chapter in the ongoing political and religious scandals that have rocked South Korea’s establishment over the past year.
According to CNN and BBC, Han, 82, is accused of orchestrating a scheme in which church officials bribed Kim Keon-hee, the wife of ousted president Yoon Suk-yeol, and Kweon Seong-dong, a conservative lawmaker, with luxury gifts and cash. Prosecutors allege that Han conspired with a former church official to provide Kim with two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace worth 80 million won (about $57,900), and to offer Kweon 100 million won (roughly $71,800) ahead of the 2022 presidential election. The aim, investigators say, was to secure business and political favors for the church if Yoon won the presidency—a goal realized, if only briefly, before Yoon’s spectacular fall from grace.
The Seoul Central District Court, after a lengthy hearing on Monday, September 22, 2025, approved Han’s detention, citing a risk that she could destroy evidence. Han, who appeared at the courthouse in a wheelchair and reportedly still recovering from recent heart surgery, did not speak to reporters. Her lawyers argued against her arrest on the grounds of her age and health, but the court was unmoved. After several hours of proceedings, Han was taken into custody at a temporary detention facility near Seoul, where she will await further legal action.
Han has repeatedly denied the charges. In brief comments to the press after a nearly 10-hour questioning session last week, she insisted, “I have neither interest in nor knowledge about politics.” The Unification Church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, issued a statement expressing regret for “causing concern to the people” and promised to “faithfully engage” with authorities, vowing to “do [its] best to use this as an occasion to restore trust in our church.” The church has also sought to distance Han from the actions of the arrested official, Yun Yong-ho, suggesting he “acted independently.”
For followers, who refer to Han as “True Mother,” the arrest is a seismic shock. Han is the widow of Sun Myung Moon, the charismatic and polarizing founder of the Unification Church, who died in 2012. Founded in 1954, the church has long courted controversy for its mass wedding ceremonies, conservative teachings, and cult-like reputation. Moon proclaimed himself the messiah and built a global movement, with the church eventually controlling significant business interests in construction, healthcare, and media.
The scandal has drawn in much of South Korea’s political elite. Kim Keon-hee, the former first lady, was arrested last month and faces charges of bribery, stock market manipulation, and interference in National Assembly candidate selection. Her trial, according to Reuters, began this week. Kim, like Han, denies all allegations, including receiving gifts from the church. The case marks the first time in South Korean history that both a former president and first lady have been jailed at the same time—a fact not lost on a public weary of political scandal.
Kweon Seong-dong, the conservative lawmaker accused of accepting bribes from the church, was arrested last week. He has denied any wrongdoing. Investigators allege that church officials registered en masse as party members ahead of the 2023 legislative campaign to support Kweon’s candidacy. The People Power Party headquarters was raided as part of the investigation, with prosecutors demanding documents to verify the claims.
The probe into Han and the church is one of three major cases launched by a special prosecutor under Seoul’s new liberal government, all focused on Yoon’s short-lived presidency. Another case examines Yoon’s attempt to declare a state of emergency on December 3, 2024—a move that lasted only a few hours before parliament, led by the opposition, voted to revoke it. That failed bid to impose martial law precipitated Yoon’s impeachment in December and his formal removal from office in April 2025. He was re-arrested in July and now faces charges of insurrection and other offenses.
“Prosecutors had sought an arrest warrant for Han on four charges including improper solicitation and graft, and occupational embezzlement,” reported BBC. The allegations center on the church’s attempts to leverage its influence for business gain, particularly in relation to a Cambodian development project and other ventures. The church’s global reach—and its history of political entanglements—has only amplified the intensity of the investigation.
The Unification Church’s reputation has never fully recovered from decades of controversy. Critics have long accused it of coercing followers, known disparagingly as “Moonies,” to make large donations and participate in arranged marriages. Its teachings, which elevate Moon as the second coming of Jesus Christ, have attracted both fervent devotion and sharp skepticism. The church’s notoriety was recently reignited in Japan after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The alleged assassin blamed the Unification Church for bankrupting his family and accused Abe of supporting the group. The church has since been ordered to dissolve in Japan and remains banned in countries such as Singapore.
Back in South Korea, the Unification Church’s influence extends into business and politics. It controls companies spanning construction, healthcare, and media. The current investigation has peeled back layers of those connections, revealing how the church’s reach may have shaped political outcomes and business deals at the highest levels of government. Prosecutors are determined to follow the money trail and identify all those involved, regardless of their status or affiliations.
The church’s leadership, meanwhile, continues to protest Han’s innocence. They argue that the investigation is politically motivated and disrespectful to an “internationally respected spiritual leader.” Still, the court’s decision to detain Han—despite her advanced age and health concerns—signals the seriousness with which authorities are treating the case. The special prosecutor’s office has indicated that further indictments could follow as the investigation widens.
For many South Koreans, the unfolding scandal is a sobering reminder of the country’s ongoing struggle to separate religious influence from political power. The simultaneous downfall of a president, first lady, and the leader of a major religious movement is unprecedented. As the trials progress, the nation will be watching closely, hoping for accountability and a measure of closure after months of turmoil.
With Han in custody and the trials of Kim and Yoon underway, South Korea stands at a crossroads—grappling with the legacy of its most controversial church and the future of its political institutions. The outcome of these cases may well shape the country’s approach to church-state relations for years to come.
