Court Decision to Prolong Detention Condemned

Press release on 1st October court decision: Exhausted 82-year-old religious leader Dr. Hak Ja Han denied release from detention in South Korea

See also Arbitrary Detention of Mother Han, Pastor Son

See also Worrying Health Update for Detained Mother Han

See also Law as Weapon: Old Age and Frail Health Ignored

See also Mother Han’s Arrest and Purge of Faith in SKorea

See also Co-Founder, 82, Questioned 9 Hours by Prosecutors

See also Korean Crisis: “True Democracy Must Serve Heaven”

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Press release issued by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in USA on 1^st October 2025, soon after the news had emerged that Dr. Hak Ja Han (82), Co-Founder and President of the Family Federation, had been denied the cancellation of her detention at Seoul Detention Center. See more information about the situation and prospects below the press release.

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – An 82-year-old great-grandmother, frail with serious health issues and revered worldwide as the “Mother of Peace”, sits in detention today in South Korea. The court’s decision to keep Dr. Hak Ja Han behind bars is a grave injustice and a shameful mark on Korea’s democracy.

A Mother’s Cry for Peace and Justice in Korea

Dr. Hak Ja Han said:

“Should we not serve Heaven to achieve world peace? As the Mother of Peace, I have lived my entire life for the sake of peace in the world; but now I feel utterly devastated. I am ashamed of Korea’s democracy, which treats me as a criminal.”

She has no passport. She cannot flee. She cannot tamper with evidence. She has answered every question. So it raises the ultimate question: what is this investigation really about?

The defense has explained the serious difficulties she faces due to advanced age and illness. Yet every appeal for truth and compassion has been systematically denied. No amount of interrogation will change the facts. She is exhausted, and her body is in pain. And yet she has refrained from saying a single word about being unwell.

This is not justice. It is persecution. When an elderly woman of faith can be jailed without cause, it is not only Korea’s shame – it is a warning to all who cherish freedom and democracy.

We demand her immediate care. Release the Mother of Peace.

– Damian Dunkley, President

Background and prospects (not part of the press release): Mother Han attended a special review hearing in Seoul on 1^st October after having been held for ten days in a 10m² detention cell in spite of her advanced age and frail health, especially as she is still recovering from a heart operation in early September.

According to the South Korean Chosun Daily on 1^st October, the judges at the review hearing sided with four prosecutors claiming there is “a high risk of flight”. Consequently, Mother Han will be held in her cell another ten days, possibly longer, while investigations by Special Prosecutors appointed by the current Lee administration are carried out into alleged corruption by the former Yoon administration.

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are also being held in detention (i.e. in custody). The South Korean legal system allows for pre-trial detention, which is very different from being convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

Yoon was actually arrested by investigators on 15^th January 2025, while still president. His detention was justified on grounds such as risk of destroying evidence.

On 7th March, a Seoul court canceled the arrest warrant (citing procedural issues), paving the way for his release from custody at that time. But in July, prosecutors sought (and obtained) a new arrest warrant. On 10th July, Yoon was arrested again and placed into detention.

Under Korean legal procedure, an initial detention may last up to 20 days pending indictment; and after indictment, detention may be extended – up to six months in some cases. Therefore, Yoon remains in custody.

 Kim Keon-hee has been held in detention since 12^th August.

In light of this, no one knows how long Mother Han will be held in detention. It could be more than six months.

“Background and prospects” text: Knut Holdhus, editor

See also Detention: Harsh Cell Conditions Spark Outcry

See also Democratic Party’s Assault on Family Federation

See also Mother Han (82) in Poor Health in Damp, Cold Cell

See also Mother Han: “The Truth Will Surely Be Revealed”

See also SKorea: Growing Concerns Over Religious Freedom

See also In Detention: Mother Han’s Condition and Words

See also News Release Blasts Indictment of Hak Ja Han, 82

See also Arbitrary Detention of Mother Han, Pastor Son

See also Firsthand Account of Ordeal of Mother Han (82)

See also Law as Weapon: Old Age and Frail Health Ignored

See also Mother Han’s Arrest and Purge of Faith in SKorea

See also Co-Founder, 82, Questioned 9 Hours by Prosecutors

See also Denying Allegations: Hak Ja Han (82) in Inquiry

See also Ugly: Arrest Warrant Sought for Hak Ja Han (82)

See also Critics Warn of “Authoritarian Drift” in SKorea

See also 70 Years On: Detention History Repeats Itself

See also Faith Leaders Protest State Assault on Religion

Featured image above: Rev. Demian Dunkley conveying an update on the situation from Seoul 1st October 2025. Screenshot from video posted on X.

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