Continuation of Trial: Who Was Really in Charge?

Witnesses heard at 13th January continuation of trial at Seoul Central District Court over alleged political donations from religious organization

The large South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo carried on 13^th January an article with the long headline: “‘I Don’t Know About Chairman Hak Ja Han’: Unification Church Executive Testimony Prompts Judge to Say, ‘Is Yoon Yeong-ho the Chairman? […] False Statements Constitute Perjury’”

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The report from Chosun Ilbo reports on a pivotal courtroom moment in an ongoing South Korean criminal trial that examines alleged improper ties between a religious organization and a political party. At the center of the case is the Family Federation, a globally known religious movement founded in South Korea, and accusations that it covertly intervened in partisan politics during the country’s 2022 presidential election. The trial focuses on whether senior Federation leadership unlawfully directed mass political party enrollment and political donations in violation of South Korea’s Political Parties Act.

The defendants include Chairman and Co-Founder Hak Ja Han (한학자 ‒ 82) ‒ also known as Mother Han ‒ and Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호), the former Global Headquarters Director. Prosecutors allege that the Federation attempted to exert political influence by orchestrating “split donations” to local branches of the conservative People Power Party, South Korea’s main right-leaning political force. Such actions, if coordinated by an organization rather than individuals, are illegal under Korean law.

In South Korean campaign finance practice, the term “split donations” (Korean: 쪼개기 후원) describes a method by which a large amount of money is divided into numerous smaller contributions and then donated in the names of multiple individuals. In many cases, those individuals are acting as stand-ins and may have little or no genuine role in the decision to donate. The purpose of this practice is to evade legal caps on political contributions or to obscure the true origin of the funds. An organization seeking to exceed contribution limits or conceal its participation may therefore channel money through members, staff, or other nominal donors.

In the case involving Mother Han, prosecutors contend that 144 million won (ca. 100,000 US dollars) in funds belonging to the Family Federation were fragmented and funneled to lawmakers via intermediaries. Although the transactions were recorded as separate, individual donations, investigators argue that the money ultimately came from a single pool controlled by the religious organization.

During a court hearing on 13^th January, several former leaders of Family Federation-affiliated organizations testified as witnesses. According to the Chosun Ilbo, their testimony followed a strikingly consistent pattern: they claimed that all politically sensitive actions ‒ including recruiting Federation members into the People Power Party and delivering donations ‒ were decided solely by Yoon Yeong-ho. According to these witnesses, they merely followed Yoon’s instructions and believed that Chairman Han had no knowledge of, or involvement in, these political activities.

The Korean daily points out that this line of testimony prompted visible skepticism from the presiding judge, Woo In-sung (우인성) of the Seoul Central District Court. At one point, the judge directly questioned the logic of the witnesses’ claims, asking rhetorically whether Yoon Yeong-ho, rather than Chairman Han, was effectively acting as the organization’s top authority. In hierarchical organizations ‒ particularly religious ones ‒ ultimate obedience is generally expected to flow toward the chairman or spiritual leader, not a subordinate administrator. The judge underscored that knowingly false statements in court could constitute perjury, a serious criminal offense.

One key witness, identified only by the surname Park, previously served as a regional director in South Gyeongsang Province and allegedly acted as a courier delivering political donations to local party offices around the time of the presidential election. Park testified that he complied with Yoon’s directives even when they conflicted with what he believed were Chairman Han’s intentions. When challenged by the judge, Park explained that Yoon exercised unilateral control over both personnel appointments and financial resources, leaving subordinates with little practical ability to object.

Additional testimony emphasized a sharp division between spiritual leadership and political activity. Another witness, also surnamed Park and formerly the head of the South Gyeongsang chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (an affiliated organization), stated that Chairman Han concerned herself exclusively with religious and spiritual matters. According to this witness, Chairman Han did not provide guidance on secular political issues and, to the witness’s recollection, did not speak about party politics during religious events.

However, this portrayal was complicated by questioning from Yoon Yeong-ho’s defense team. Yoon’s attorney suggested that the internal power dynamics of the religious organization made it difficult for regional leaders to resist Yoon’s orders, precisely because he was widely perceived as enjoying Chairman Han’s trust. Yoon had been appointed Global Headquarters Director under Chairman Han’s authority, leading many within the organization to assume that Yoon’s directives reflected the chairman’s will, whether explicitly stated or not. One witness conceded that this perception likely influenced compliance.

Taken together, the testimony reveals a central tension in the trial: whether Yoon Yeong-ho acted independently, abusing delegated authority, or whether he functioned as an extension of Chairman Han’s leadership. The judge’s pointed remarks suggest concern that witnesses may be attempting to shield senior leadership by attributing all responsibility to a single subordinate. As the case proceeds, the court must determine not only what actions occurred, but where true decision-making power resided within the Family Federation during the 2022 national election.

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Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Artistic impression of court hearings 13th January 2026. Illustration: ChatGPT 14th Jan. 2026.

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