Is It Civic Education or Political Involvement?

South Korean Family Federation trial involving Mother Han raises question: Where does civic education end and politics begin?

Published 10th May 2026 at 10:17pm, updated 11th May 2026 at 01:20pm.

On 8^th May 2026, the South Korean online newspaper OhmyNews (오마이뉴스) published a courtroom report by journalist Lee Jin-min (이진민) detailing the latest developments in the trial involving Hak Ja Han (한학자), the leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – in South Korea often called Unificationism (통일교).

See also Statement on Principles of Political Neutrality

See also Court Extension of Mother Han’s Medical Release

See also When Believers See a Mother, Not a Manager

See also South Korea’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism

See also Family Federation Secures 2 ISO Certifications

See also Election Campaign Fuels Unificationism Claims

The case has drawn significant public attention in the country. The religious movement has long claimed that its involvement in public affairs is educational or moral rather than directly political. Yet, the current left-leaning Lee Jae-myung administration has appointed “special prosecutors” in order to investigate allegations that senior figures within the Family Federation attempted to influence the country’s 2022 presidential election, potentially violating laws governing political funding and improper lobbying.

The issue emerged during the 25th hearing in the trial of Hak Ja Han – also called Mother Han – and several senior officials from the religious organization at the Seoul Central District Court on 8^th May. The special prosecutors are investigating whether organizations linked to the Family Federation improperly supported political actors or sought influence in ways prohibited by law.

At the center of this particular hearing was testimony from a former president of Sun Moon University (선문대학교), identified publicly only by his surname, Hwang (황). His testimony was significant because it offered a rare insider’s perspective on how Federation leaders viewed political involvement during the election period.

Hwang acknowledged that something unusual was happening inside the religious organization in the months before South Korea’s 20th presidential election. He said he sensed “activities that had never happened before,” suggesting that there was a distinct shift in atmosphere compared to previous election cycles. According to him, some within Federation circles were uncomfortable with what they were seeing and considered it inconsistent with the movement’s traditional posture.

However, Hwang was careful to limit responsibility for those actions. He testified that the unusual political activity was confined to specific branches of the movement, particularly the Family Federation World Headquarters and the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an affiliated international organization often presented as an independent peace-building body.

Crucially, Hwang insisted that Mother Han herself did not issue any orders related to election intervention. He stated that he had never heard any instruction from her to support a candidate or involve the Federation in electoral politics. Instead, he identified former World Headquarters director Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) as the person exercising operational control during that period.

This distinction appears central to the defense strategy: to argue that any politically questionable behavior was carried out by specific individuals rather than by the Federation leadership as an institution.

One of the most striking moments of the hearing came when Hwang addressed the apparent contradiction between the Family Federation’s denial of political ambition and its past decision to create a political party.

Hwang referred to the Unificationism-founded Family Party for Universal Peace and Unity (천주평화통일가정당) – formally launched in March 2003 – which fielded candidates in South Korea’s 2008 parliamentary election. The party promoted themes such as family values, world peace, and Korean reunification.

To many outside observers, establishing a political party and running candidates would seem to be straightforward political participation. But Hwang argued otherwise. He claimed that the party was never intended to function like a conventional political organization seeking power or office. Instead, he described it as what he called an “educational political party” – an unprecedented effort designed to improve public morality and cultivate principled leaders through civic education.

According to his explanation, when Mother Han spoke about politics, she was not encouraging direct political participation. Rather, she was advocating the moral education of politicians so that the political system could function more ethically. Supporters will say that’s definitely needed in today’s South Korean political culture, often described as corrupt right to the top of the system.

For many outside South Korea, this distinction may seem unusual or even difficult to accept. In most democratic systems, creating a political party and nominating candidates would automatically be regarded as political action. Hwang acknowledged that ordinary people could understandably misunderstand the intentions of the religious organization, but he insisted that the Family Federation has always viewed political engagement differently – as a form of social guidance rather than partisan competition.

According to the OhmyNews article, Hwang emphasized that none of the nominated candidates in South Korea’s 245 electoral districts in 2008 are “active politicians today, and among the candidates at the time, there were also people who were not members of Unificationism.”

The hearing also included testimony from another former senior official, identified only as Jo (조), who once served as vice president of the Japanese branch of the Family Federation and later headed its World Headquarters.

Jo described Mother Han’s management style as highly cautious and deliberate. According to him, she tends to observe individuals for months before entrusting them with major responsibilities. He suggested that this reflected a careful leadership approach rather than impulsive decision-making.

Hak Ja Han herself did not attend the hearing. Her detention had previously been suspended for health-related reasons, and that suspension was recently extended through the end of May. Her repeated absence from proceedings has reportedly reduced attendance by Family Federation followers who had previously come to court to show support.

For international readers, this case highlights broader questions about the relationship between religion and politics in South Korea. It also illustrates how religious organizations can frame engagement perceived by some as political in moral or educational terms, even when their activities resemble conventional political intervention.

Lee Jin-min’s reporting captures a critical moment in this ongoing legal drama: a courtroom effort by the defense to draw a line between spiritual mission and political action, while prosecutors attempt to show that the boundary may have been crossed.

The next court hearing is scheduled for 15^th May.

In its report, OhmyNews pointed out that Nam Do-hyeon (남도현), Park Ye-ju (박예주), and Oh Se-jin (오세진) from the team of special prosecutors investigating the former First Lady Kim Keon-hee (김건희) attended the 8^th May hearing. The legal team defending Mother Han consisted of ten attorneys from the law firms Bae, Kim & Lee LLC and LKB & Partners.

OhmyNews is a South Korean online newspaper widely known for pioneering a citizen journalism model.

See also Statement on Principles of Political Neutrality

See also Court Extension of Mother Han’s Medical Release

See also When Believers See a Mother, Not a Manager

See also South Korea’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism

See also Official Statement on Recent Media Coverage

See also Family Federation Secures 2 ISO Certifications

See also Election Campaign Fuels Unificationism Claims

See also Park Gyu-nam: Faith, Football, and Public Service

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: The Family Federation involved in civic education. Illustration: ChatGPT, 11th April 2026 

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