Ex-first lady gift probe takes strange turn — to Vegas gambling by Unification Church leader
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Prosecutors tracing the flow of luxury gifts allegedly intended for former first lady Kim Keon Hee have uncovered a new lead — a trail of high-stakes casino bets in Las Vegas tied to Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja.
Prosecutors are summoning officials from the church as part of an ongoing investigation into Han’s suspected gambling. The case is linked to allegations that luxury gifts — including designer handbags and diamond necklaces — were procured for the former lady, with attention now focused on the source of funds and possible attempts to quash the investigation through shaman Jeon Seong-bae, who is linked to allegations of political peddling by the former first lady.
The virtual asset crime investigation unit of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office is tracing the money trail behind gifts for Kim that were allegedly arranged by Jeon and a former Unification Church global headquarters chief surnamed Yoon. In the process, the team uncovered evidence suggesting that Han had engaged in gambling at Las Vegas casinos from 2011 to this January.
Beginning June 5, investigators began questioning church officials. They are examining documents sent in September 2012 by MGM Resorts International’s M Life Players Club, a casino rewards program. The documents reportedly detail Han’s gambling activity, including losses of about $700,000 and winnings of $560,000 from slot machines — a net loss of around $40,000.
The records also include the usage logs of 12 other individuals, including Han’s chief of staff and the church’s former North American regional president, surnamed Kim, spanning from 2008 to 2011. The total gambling activity detailed in the documents exceeds $42 million.
Jeon was summoned again on Thursday for questioning on bribery charges. This marks his second appearance since the recent presidential election. Prosecutors are pursuing allegations that Jeon and former global chief Yoon used connections with pro-Yoon Suk Yeol politicians and senior police officials to obstruct investigations. Tracing the funds used to purchase gifts for the former first lady is central to this effort.
Han has reportedly continued to visit Las Vegas after 2011, with prosecutors suspecting she gambled during her most recent trip to the United States in January.
Prosecutors have also obtained an internal document drafted by former global chief Yoon in 2019, which includes an arrow pointing from global headquarters funds to Han’s Las Vegas account. During earlier questioning, Yoon is said to have told prosecutors that he acted “on the leader’s instruction and with her approval.” His wife reportedly served as the head of finance at the global headquarters for more than a decade.
Investigators believe Yoon may have received early intelligence on the investigation and attempted to interfere with it. In an audio recording secured by prosecutors, Yoon is heard telling an associate in September 2022, “I was told there’s a statute of limitations. It’s about the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. The pro-Yoon Suk Yeol politicians advised us to be prepared for a raid and to hire a law firm, so I reported it to Mother,” referring to Han.
Prosecutors believe this was in reference to the gambling allegations.
Other recordings suggest former global chief Yoon ordered the formatting of laptops and destruction of documents, and discussed leveraging senior police officials to manage the situation.
The Unification Church has denied the allegations.
“Leader Han visits Las Vegas frequently because our church’s U.S. Western regional office is based there,” said a church spokesperson. “The gambling allegation is not true. As for the gift scandal, it concerns an individual who has since left the church and tried to produce results by paying prayer fees to Jeon and giving gifts. It has nothing to do with the church.”
Still, under the special prosecutor law concerning the former first lady — which came into effect Tuesday — the upcoming special counsel will be required to investigate allegations of overseas gambling and efforts to block investigations. Prosecutors plan to pursue their inquiry into Jeon and Yoon, including potential violations of the antigraft law and casino-related offenses, until the special prosecutor’s office officially launches.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
Content retrieved from: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-12/national/socialAffairs/Exfirst-lady-gift-probe-takes-strange-turn–to-Vegas-gambling-by-Unification-Church-leader/2328941.
