Mother Han: A Cycle of Prosecution Without End

Cycle of overlapping investigations raises questions about political retaliation as Mother Han faces three simultaneous legal battles

A disturbing pattern of weaponized legal maneuvers has begun to emerge from South Korea’s judiciary, raising profound systemic questions about the weaponization of criminal investigations under President Lee Jae-myung (이재명).

Observers are increasingly echoing the concerns raised by former Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, Yoon Hee-keun (윤희근). According to several large Korean media outlets, including Yonhap News and News 1, on 26^th August, he openly questioned how long the current administration intends to exploit what he calls “political-retaliation special prosecutors” to settle political scores.

Yoon’s perspective – informed by his own experience under the crosshairs of administration-appointed prosecutors – points to a structural strategy: when a lengthy investigation fails to produce the desired indictments, authorities simply refuse to close the case, keeping the targets indefinitely pinned under state scrutiny.

This critical perspective is highly relevant to the escalating judicial campaign against Hak Ja Han (한학자) – known as Mother Han – and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – commonly referred to in Korea as Unificationism (통일교).

National publications, such as Segye Ilbo in an editorial on 24^th August, have voiced explicit concerns that South Korea is entering an unprecedented era where state-appointed prosecutors act as permanent fixtures of political attrition, operating continuously through the entirety of President Lee’s term, which runs until June 2030.

Rather than concluding exhaustive inquiries when initial evidence falls short, the state has continuously widened its net. This dynamic became undeniable when domestic outlets on 28^th August reported a new indictment accusing Mother Han and senior officials of embezzling 10.5 billion won (approximately US$7.5 million) over an eight-year period.

Crucially, this came just as an earlier, separate trial involving political-funding allegations was drawing to its verdict date on 31^st August, where the Min Joong-gi (민중기) Special Prosecutor’s team had demanded a staggering 13-year prison sentence. The tactical timing of these rolling, overlapping indictments strongly indicates an institutional determination to sustain an unending cycle of prosecution against the religious minority, ensuring that even if one legal theory collapses, another is immediately ready to take its place.

Judicial developments reported on 19^th October 2026 by several South Korean media outlets – the same day Mother Han was granted bail – outline the upcoming logistical phases of her trials.

Scheduling of the 10.5 Billion Won Embezzlement Trial

According to a consensus report by Beobchi News, BBS News, Newsis, Yonhap News, SBS News, and others, the first-instance trial addressing the new embezzlement charges will officially begin next month.

What the charges essentially boil down to is not putting organizational funds in one’s own pocket. It’s rather that the prosecutors claim money belonging to the religious organization has been used in a way that the country’s laws don’t regard as “regular religious activities”. Even if the money was spent entirely on the organization‘s broader global vision, doing so in violation of statutory financial controls is legally classified as embezzlement.

Believers revere Mother Han as a messianic figure (“True Mother“). From the perspective of the faith and many of its donors, giving money to the religious organization is synonymous with giving it to her to use as she sees fit for global and providential causes.

The prosecutors appointed by the left-leaning Lee Jae-myung (이재명) administration claim that legally, the money belongs to the registered religious corporation, not an individual. Using institutional assets for projects outside the narrow scope of what the charter and South Korean law define as “regular religious activities”, constitutes a criminal diversion of corporate funds.

All the five above-mentioned outlets confirm that Criminal Agreement Division 22 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Jo Hyeong-woo (조형우), has scheduled the first public preparatory hearing for 12^th November 2026, at 11:00 AM.

The South Korean media outlets provided a lopsided view of the case, focusing predominantly on the prosecution’s theory and investigative details, while mentioning the defense’s perspective only to a minimal extent.

A direct comparison of how the two sides were represented across the different reports reveals a clear imbalance:

The Defense’s View (Minimal Mention)

The defense’s perspective is almost entirely absent from the mainstream broadcast and wire reports (SBS, BBS, Newsis, and Yonhap), which strictly stick to the facts of the indictment and court scheduling.

The only notable exception is Beobchi News, which is the only outlet to explicitly provide the defense’s counter-argument. At the very end of its report, it briefly notes that Mother Han‘s legal team flatly denies the charges, asserting that former Director-General Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) acted entirely on his own authority without her prior knowledge, reporting, or instruction.

Additionally, the outlets do maintain standard legal neutrality by clarifying that these are “prosecutorial allegations” rather than judicially established facts, noting that the defendants were “indicted without detention”. However, in terms of actual narrative real estate, the state’s allegations received overwhelming dominance across the board.

Beobchi News, Newsis, and Yonhap News explicitly identify the four co-defendants as Hak Ja Han (한학자), former Chief of Staff Jeong Won-ju (정원주), and former World Headquarters Director-General Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호). Newsis provides the additional detail that a fourth individual, a former head of the Central Administration Office identified only as “A”, is also being tried. All five outlets state that the charges have been brought under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (Embezzlement).

The Prosecution’s View (Predominant Focus)

The bulk of the text in all the articles is dedicated to detailing the state’s narrative. The outlets exhaustively report:

• The precise alleged criminal mechanisms (conspiracy, false accounting, and using the guise of ceremonial “offering fees” to bypass normal accounting).
• The sensational structural details of the investigation, specifically highlighting the discovery of 26 billion won (about US$19 million) in cash bundles inside Mother Han‘s private safe.
• The institutional background of the Joint Investigation Headquarters (Hapsubon), framing the trial as a crackdown on systemic “religion-politics collusion”.

The Investigative Authority and Mechanism of the Alleged Crime

Beobchi News, BBS News, Newsis, and Yonhap News report that the prosecution was initiated by the specialized “Joint Investigation Headquarters for Religion-Politics Collusion” (Hapsubon). Newsis contributes the specific context that the headquarters is led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon (김태훈) of the Daejeon High Prosecutors’ Office.

Regarding the mechanics of the alleged crime, Beobchi News, Newsis, and Yonhap News state that the defendants are accused of illicitly diverting roughly 10.5 billion won in Federation funds between 2017 and 2025. Beobchi News and Yonhap News specify that these funds were diverted under the guise of “offering/gift expenses” (예물비), while Newsis emphasizes that the core of the state’s case relies on proof that senior officials conspired to execute false accounting procedures.

Beobchi News, Newsis, and Yonhap News all report that these cash bundles were subsequently hidden in a private vault inside Mother Han‘s living quarters at the Cheon Jeong Temple complex in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Newsis reminds readers that this follows a severe compulsory raid and seizure carried out at the Gapyeong complex and the Seoul headquarters on 6^th May.

Genesis of the Vault’s Discovery and Asset Seizure

Beobchi News, BBS News, and Yonhap News trace the origin of this new indictment back to an aggressive raid originally executed by the team of Special Prosecutor Min Joong-gi (민중기) while they were investigating unrelated allegations involving the former First Lady Kim Keon-hee (김건희).

Beobchi News, BBS News, and Yonhap News all write that the special prosecutors originally discovered 26 billion won (about US$19 million) in cash bundles within Mother Han’s private vault.

In the highly competitive digital landscape of South Korean internet media, visual and concrete details – such as “hoards of cash hidden in private residential vaults” – drive massive click-through rates. The press naturally prioritizes these dramatic investigative leaks over the dry, highly technical legal denials issued by defense attorneys.

These three outlets report that while the initial special prosecutor team interrogated financial officers, they were unable to confirm the definitive source or legal nature of the money before their mandate expired. Beobchi News, BBS News, and Yonhap News explain that the case was subsequently handed over to the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which traced the financial flow, concluded that 10.5 billion won (about US$7.5 million) was embezzled, and subsequently seized the entire 26 billion won (about US$19 million) under asset-collection and preservation laws. Beobchi News adds a critical clarification: the media underscores that the pending trial is strictly restricted to the 10.5 billion won, meaning the remaining cash must be legally handled as a separate matter.

The Lower Court Verdict and Appellate Court Status

Beobchi News, Newsis, and Yonhap News provide comprehensive tracking of the separate, primary criminal trial concerning political-lobbying allegations. All three outlets note that on 31^st August, the Seoul Central District Court found Mother Han guilty, sentencing her to a combined 2 years in prison.

Beobchi News adds that the Special Prosecutor’s team has appealed the verdict, arguing the sentences are too lenient and contesting the lower court’s decision to acquit on certain embezzlement counts and dismiss charges of instigating evidence destruction.

Exclusive Details on Mother Han’s Bail and Defense Strategy

Beobchi News also carried the news that on 19^th October, Criminal Division 13 of the Seoul High Court – led by High Court Judges Kim Moo-shin (김무신), Lee Woo-hee (이우희), and Yoo Dong-gyun (유동균) – formally approved a bail request for Mother Han in the lobbying appeal. Beobchi News reports that the court cited her critical health condition and the fact that evidence collection had concluded. The publication details the highly restrictive terms of her release: a 200-million-won cash bond, strict confinement to the hospital where she has been receiving treatment since March, and an absolute ban on contacting any external individuals except for legal counsel, medical professionals, and essential mobility assistants.

Finally, Beobchi News maps out the immense logistical pressure on the leadership, reporting that Mother Han is now facing three distinct, simultaneous legal battles: the lobbying appeal, the upcoming 10.5-billion-won (about US$7.5 million) embezzlement trial, and a separate trial for allegedly violating the Political Parties Act through organized mass party registrations. In terms of defense positioning, Beobchi News reports that Mother Han‘s legal team is flatly denying the embezzlement charges, asserting that former Director-General Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) acted entirely on his own authority without her prior knowledge or instruction.

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Dr. Hak Ja Han (한학자) – also known as Mother Han. Photo: FFWPU 

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