Former First Lady and Mother Han (82) in New Case

Special prosecutors target former First Lady Kim Keon-hee in expanding election probe that involves Family Federation and Hak Ja Han

The major South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo reported on 11^th November, in an article titled “Unification Church Case Assigned to Kim’s Court”, on new developments in the high-profile case involving 82-year-old religious leader Hak Ja Han (한학자) – known to followers as Mother Han. She has been held in solitary confinement in a tiny cell for more than 50 days despite serious health concerns, as prosecutors pursue additional charges linked to alleged political interference.

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Journalist Oh Yu-jin (오유진)  described the latest step in South Korea’s ongoing investigation into alleged collusion between religion and politics. The report centers on new charges against former First Lady Kim Keon-hee (김건희), arising from claims that members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (also known as the Unification Church) were systematically enrolled in the ruling People Power Party (PPP), currently the main opposition party.

The case has been assigned to the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Woo In-sung (우인성) – the same division currently handling the case against Hak Ja Han herself.

According to legal sources cited by Chosun Ilbo, the new case includes not only Kim but several prominent figures: Family Federation leader Hak Ja Han, the Federation‘s former international secretary-general Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호), former presidential chief secretary Jeong Yoon-joo (정윤주), and the well-known shaman Jeon Seong-bae (전성배), also called Geonjin. All face supplementary charges under South Korea’s Political Parties Act (정당법).

What makes this assignment particularly notable, the paper explains, is that the same division already oversees Kim’s separate case involving alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act. Moreover, this court is responsible for most of the cases tied to alleged coordination between religious groups and political actors that have emerged from the special counsel investigation into Kim.

Among these related cases is an accusation under the Political Funds Act involving PPP lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong (권성동) and Hak Ja Han.

The special counsel’s office announced on 9^th November that the Family Federation faces additional charges for allegedly mobilizing members to join the People Power Party en masse ahead of the party’s March 2023 national convention. Prosecutors claim this campaign aimed to support a particular candidate aligned with President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열).

Investigators reportedly discovered that in November 2022, Kim requested Yoon Yeong-ho – through intermediary Jeon Seong-bae – to coordinate the collective enrollment of members of the religious organization. In return, Kim and Jeon allegedly offered government support to the Family Federation and a proportional-representation seat in the next general election. The goal, prosecutors contend, was to secure the election of a candidate loyal to presidential candidate Yoon. Mother Han, Yoon Yeong-ho, and Jeong Yoon-joo are accused of conspiring to coerce members of the Family Federation into participation.

In summary, Chosun Ilbo observes that consolidating these interconnected cases under a single court division reflects a comprehensive judicial approach to the widening investigation – by many regarded as a widening crackdown on political opponents. The move underscores how South Korean authorities are addressing one of the most complex and politically sensitive intersections of faith, party politics, and alleged electoral manipulation in recent history.

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Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Seoul Central District Court with the logo of the Chosun Ilbo and the front cover page of the “Political Parties Act” (정당법) published by National Law Information Center. Image of the court building by Grok xAI 

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