Unification Church Leader Han Arrested on Gambling, Embezzlement, and Corruption Charges

A South Korean court has arrested Han Hak-ja, the head of the Unification Church, following a probe into her alleged gambling activities in Las Vegas.

Han, also known as Hak Ja Han Moon, is the widow of the church founder Sun Myung-moon.

Prosecutors think that Han lost millions of dollars during several trips to Las Vegas. And they believe church officials received help from top political aides to sabotage police probes into Han’s gambling habits.

Per the South Korean newspapers Kyunghyang Shinmun and Dong-A Ilbo, the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Han at the request of the special prosecution team that is also investigating former President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee.

Gambling Cover-up Allegations Culminate in Arrest

Yoon and Kim are suspected of corruption and peddling influence. Prosecutors think that a key Yoon ally with close ties to Han helped the church leader evade prosecution in 2022 and 2023.

The prosecution team believes that Han and a former church official gave 100 million won (approximately $72,000) to the lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong.

Kweon is a member of the People Power Party (PPP), which was in power during Yoon’s presidency. Yoon was impeached earlier this year.

Prosecutors say that Kweon tipped Han off about forthcoming police probes into her alleged overseas gambling habits.

They also think that she ordered church officials to destroy evidence ahead of a possible investigation.

While South Korean courts rarely prosecute single-instance and small-scale gambling in overseas casinos, the act of gambling in foreign territory remains illegal in South Korea.

Courts are more likely to punish what they see as habitual gambling or high-stakes betting. Prosecutors say Han has made multiple trips to Las Vegas casinos in recent years.

But the church has denied this, claiming that she visited Las Vegas frequently because the city is home to the church’s regional headquarters.

Han Faces Multiple Charges

More recently, the church appears to have changed tack, suggesting that Han’s aide went rogue and issued bribes without Han’s permission.

However, prosecutors believe Han may have attempted to repay the favor to the lawmaker. They think she tried to help Kweon win the PPP’s leadership election in 2023.

Officials believe the church told congregations to join the PPP and cast their votes for Kweon. A recent search of church-linked documents, investigators said, revealed that some 110,000 congregants joined the PPP ahead of the vote.

Prosecutors also think that Han gifted Kim a diamond necklace and a Chanel bag via an intermediary.

Han, 83, appeared for a preliminary hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in a wheelchair at 1:30 PM local time on September 23.

She refused to answer questions from reporters outside the courtroom. In court, she was formally charged with violating the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation & Graft Act.

Prosecutors also charged her with instigating the destruction of evidence and embezzlement-related offenses.

Han is being held at the Seoul Detention Center pending a further hearing.