Sisa Journal, a South Korean outlet, has published an article quoting portions of the first-instance ruling handed down by the judges on August 31 in the case concerning Unification Church Dr. Hak Ja Han. The following is an English translation of the original Korean-language article. "Church-state collusion": Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja sentenced to 2 years in prison; her "right-hand man" chief of staff gets a suspended sentence
By Kim Hyun-ji (metaxy@sisajournal.com) | Sisa Journal | 2026.08.31
Named as the apex of the illegal 100 million won political funds and luxury-goods lobbying allegations "They committed the offenses in expectation of state support for the Unification Church and expanded political influence"
Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, who was indicted and detained as the central figure in the church-state collusion allegations surrounding the Yoon Suk-yeol government, was sentenced to two years in prison at first instance.
On the afternoon of the 31st, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 27 (presiding judge Woo In-sung) sentenced Han to one year in prison on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, and one year in prison on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (embezzlement).
The court sentenced Jung Won-ju, Han's former chief of staff and the so-called "shadow power broker," who was indicted alongside her, to eight months in prison suspended for two years on the Political Funds Act charge, and eight months in prison suspended for two years on the charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and embezzlement.
Yoon Young-ho, the former Unification Church headquarters director whose testimony triggered the investigation, was sentenced to six months in prison. Yoon's spouse, identified only by the surname Lee, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for one year.
Han is accused of conspiring with Jung and Yoon around January 2022, before the 20th presidential election, to deliver 100 million won (roughly $72,000) in political funds to Kwon Seong-dong, a former People Power Party lawmaker aligned with Yoon Suk-yeol, and of donating 144 million won (roughly $104,000) in Unification Church organizational funds to People Power Party lawmakers and others around March and April of that year, in violation of the Political Funds Act.
Han, the others, and Lee are also accused of passing an expensive necklace and a Chanel bag to First Lady Kim Keon-hee around July 2022 through the shaman known as "Geonjin beopsa," Jeon Seong-bae, while soliciting favors on matters pending before the church, in violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. They are further accused of embezzling Unification Church funds to purchase the high-value items.
Han and Jung were also accused of instructing Yoon to destroy evidence after receiving information in October 2022 about an investigation into overseas casino gambling in Las Vegas.
"They saw it as a chance to expand the church on the strength of its financial power"
The court explained that according to the record, Yoon reported to Han with Jung present, and that Jung did not simply sit in on the meetings but expressed views on important matters, so a conspiracy among them regarding the 100 million won delivered to Kwon was established.
Most of the charges involving split donations to politicians were also found guilty. The court stated that after prior consultation among Han, Jung, and Yoon, Han made remarks at a special assembly supporting Yoon Suk-yeol, who was then a candidate, and that donations to the People Power Party were made immediately after receiving Han's approval. The court also found that the expensive necklace and other items were delivered to Kim Keon-hee with Han's approval for the purpose of obtaining support for Unification Church events.
The court said of Han and the others that they had viewed the situation as an opportunity to expand the church on the strength of its financial power, and had committed the offenses in the expectation that if a government led by a presidential candidate friendly to the Unification Church took office, they would receive state support for church-related policy and expanded political influence. Colluding with political forces in a manner unrelated to missionary work or education, the court said, was not a light offense. Regarding Han in particular, the court said that considering her status and role in the Unification Church and her attitude of shifting responsibility onto Yoon, a custodial sentence was unavoidable.
The court did, however, treat as mitigating factors the fact that Yoon appeared to have planned the offenses overall, and that Han acted for the purpose of expanding the church and its political influence rather than for personal gain. The court said there were aspects making it difficult to regard the policies the Unification Church pursued as improper in themselves, and that it had also taken into account Han's full repayment of the embezzled amount, the church's expressed wish that she not be punished, and her apparent efforts toward world peace as a religious leader.
Of Jung, the court said that despite holding a position involved in major decision-making, he had minimized his own role by characterizing himself as nothing more than an aide. The court added that it had considered that he did not lead the planning or execution of the offenses and was involved by carrying out Han's instructions and approved matters. Regarding Yoon and Lee, the former finance bureau director, the court said their culpability was not light, but that it had taken into account their cooperation in establishing the substantive truth despite tangible and intangible pressure from the Unification Church side.
The court dismissed the prosecution on the charges of instigating destruction of evidence and occupational embezzlement against Han and the others, on the grounds that those charges were unrelated to the scope of investigation authorized under the special counsel law.
Han Hak-ja: "I do not covet power with money"
The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki, which investigated allegations involving Kim Keon-hee, asked the court at the closing hearing on the 10th of last month to sentence Han to 13 years in prison. It sought 10 years for Jung and three years and six months for Yoon, and three years for Lee. The special counsel team characterized the case as a serious crime that directly violated the constitutional principle of separation of religion and politics and damaged representative democracy.
Han's side argued that all of the offenses were personal deviations by Yoon. In her final statement, Han denied the charges outright, saying she does not covet power with money.
Yoon countered that Han had given instructions and granted approval. Yoon was separately indicted on charges of delivering money and goods to Kim Keon-hee and Kwon, and has had a sentence of one year and six months in prison confirmed by the Supreme Court. Kwon also had a sentence of two years in prison and forfeiture of 100 million won confirmed by the Supreme Court on the 16th of last month, a penalty that costs him his parliamentary seat.
Han is separately standing trial at first instance alongside Kim Keon-hee and others in connection with allegations that Unification Church members joined the People Power Party en masse in November 2022. The joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters, led by senior prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon, also announced on the 31st that it had detected additional charges including occupational embezzlement and had indicted Han without detention.
Han, who was indicted and detained last October, has been staying in a hospital after receiving a suspension of execution of her detention on grounds of deteriorating health. The suspension runs until 6 p.m. on September 2.
After the first-instance ruling, the Unification Church issued a statement saying it would use the occasion to further establish an emergency reform system covering overall church operations, and would comprehensively overhaul its decision-making structure, financial execution processes, internal checks and oversight systems, and its compliance review and record management systems for external activities. The church said it trusts the rule of law in the Republic of Korea and respects judicial procedure, while stating that it finds it impossible to accept the first-instance ruling's finding that Han Hak-ja instructed the conduct or approved it while aware of an unlawful purpose. It indicated it will appeal.
This article is an English translation of an article published in Sisa Journal. Credit belongs to Sisa Journal. Original title: "โ์ ๊ต์ ์ฐฉโ ํํ์ ํต์ผ๊ต ์ด์ฌ ์ง์ญ 2๋ ...โ์ค๋ฅธํโ ๋น์์ค์ฅ์ ์งํ์ ์" https://www.sisajournal.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=385472