Kim Keon-hee, Han Hak-ja Indicted in Unification Church Party Scheme
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The special prosecutor’s team, led by Min Joong-ki, investigating various allegations against former first lady Kim Keon-hee, announced on the 7th that it had additionally indicted Kim, Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, and others in connection with the alleged “collective entry of Unification Church members into the People Power Party.”
The special counsel stated, “Kim, Han, Jeon Seong-bae (a shaman also known as Geonjin), Yun Young-ho (former Unification Church global head), and Jeong (a former Unification Church secretary-general), among five individuals, were additionally indicted on charges of violating the Political Parties Act.” The law stipulates that no individual shall be coerced into joining or leaving a political party against their free will.
The special counsel alleged that Kim and Jeon colluded to request the Unification Church in November 2022 to organize a collective entry of its followers into the People Power Party, with the aim of ensuring the election of their preferred candidate ahead of the party’s leadership race in March 2023. According to the indictment, “In return, they promised the Unification Church policy support, financial benefits, and a proportional representation seat in the National Assembly for the church’s share, which Han and others accepted.”
In relation to this allegation, the special counsel reportedly seized and searched a server containing the People Power Party’s membership list on September 19, extracting a list of approximately 110,000 to 120,000 individuals suspected of being Unification Church followers. On September 30, they also raided the party’s Gyeongnam provincial chapter and discovered bundles of membership applications presumed to have been submitted by Unification Church adherents.
Earlier, the special counsel reported that the Unification Church had systematically supported former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s government by donating funds to 17 city and provincial chapters of the People Power Party around the time of the 20th presidential election. On the 10th of last month, Han was referred to trial on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act. Kim was arrested and indicted in August on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and solicitation of bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
Content retrieved from: https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/11/07/3KL37M4CTFBPPLDUAOGC6WINKY/.
