Unification Church leader questioned in South Korea probe tied to former president's wife

SEOUL, South Korea — Hak Ja Han, 82, the widow of Sun Myung Moon and longtime figurehead of the Unification Church, appeared for questioning Wednesday as investigators broaden a criminal probe tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. The inquiry is being conducted by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, and officials have not disclosed whether they will seek to arrest Han, who had previously declined three summons citing a recovery from heart surgery.

Investigators say the case centers on whether the church or its officials provided luxury gifts or other favors to influence political or business decisions involving Kim Keon Hee and a conservative lawmaker. The scope expanded to include a church official implicated in arranging such benefits and a separate inquiry into the lawmaker, Kweon Seong-dong, who was arrested in connection with the probe. The church has denied coordinating illegal political funding and said any such actions were the independent acts of a church official.

One church official has been arrested in the case and is accused of providing about 100 million won in bribes to Kweon Seong-dong, a conservative lawmaker and a Yoon ally. The church official reportedly acted to secure business or political favors for church-linked interests, including involvement in a Cambodian development project. Han and the church say the official acted on his own and that there is no instruction from them to provide illegal funds or political favors. In a statement delivered via an associate on Aug. 31, Han said false claims circulated that the church directed illegal political spending, and that she never instructed any illegal political requests or financial transactions.

In parallel with the South Korean probe, the church's branch in Japan faces a major legal challenge that could dissolve its status. Tokyo District Court ordered the revocation of the church’s legal status after government investigations concluded that its fundraising and recruitment tactics manipulated followers and harmed families. The court ruling, if upheld, would end the church’s tax-exempt status in Japan and force liquidation of its assets. The church has filed an appeal, calling the ruling regrettable and unjust. The case follows broader scrutiny of the church’s influence in politics and its role in high-profile political events in East Asia.

Moon founded the church, officially the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, in 1954, a year after the Korean War, and built it into an international movement with millions of followers and extensive business interests. The church is known for anti-communist stances and large mass weddings, which have drawn scrutiny over recruitment practices and financial demands in the past. Moon, who died in 2012 at age 92, once met North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang in 1991 to promote engagement between the two Koreas. The church’s international ties have included decades of engagement with conservative political figures and leaders in the United States and elsewhere.

The renewed focus on Hak Ja Han comes as investigators pursue allegations that the church sought to influence political figures through gifts and favors in exchange for business access and political support. The probe into Kim Keon Hee and a conservative lawmaker mirrors a broader pattern of scrutiny of religious organizations with political affiliations across the region. While the church has historically maintained strong ties to conservative networks, officials have said they will cooperate with authorities as investigations proceed.

The investigation unfolds as South Korea continues to grapple with the political and legal implications of ties between religious groups and government actors. The government has emphasized that investigations are conducted independently of any political pressure and that they will pursue facts wherever they lead. Prosecutors have cautioned against speculation and urged the public to await the results of formal proceedings before drawing conclusions about guilt or wrongdoing. The case also highlights the ongoing debate over fundraising practices within new religious movements and the mechanisms by which money and influence may intersect with public policy in a high-stakes political environment.