Mother Han Denies Charges, Declines to Testify

On 12th June hearings at Seoul court, Hak Ja Han denies prosecutors’ charges over political funding and uses her right to decline further testimony 

On 12^th June 2026, the South Korean online news agency NewsPim (뉴스핌) published a court-reporting article by reporter Lee Ba-reum (이바름) concerning a highly publicized case involving Hak Ja Han (한학자), the leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – in Korea often referred to as Unificationism (통일교). The case has attracted significant attention in South Korea because it touches on allegations of improper connections between a major religious organization and political figures, a subject often described in Korean media as “church-state collusion” (정교유착 – jeonggyo yuchak).

See also Mother Han Delivers 10-Minute Court Statement

See also Defense Challenges Core Claims of Indictment

See also Burden of Successor: Founders and Their Heirs

See also 3rd Extension of Mother Han’s Medical Release

See also Alleged Bias: Investigating the Investigators

See also South Korea’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism

See also “Church Closure” Risks in South Korea’s New Bill

The article reports on the appearance of Hak Ja Han – also called Mother Han – as a witness before the 27^th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court. Although she appeared in court and formally took the witness oath, she ultimately refused to answer questions about the allegations against her. The report focuses primarily on what occurred during the hearing itself rather than attempting to determine whether the allegations are true.

According to the article, Mother Han arrived at court in a wheelchair and required assistance entering the courtroom. The report notes that she was unable to read the witness oath independently. Instead, her grandson, who accompanied her, read the oath sentence by sentence, and she repeated each sentence after him. This detail was included because it illustrated both her physical condition and the unusual circumstances surrounding her court appearance.

After the oath had been completed, Mother Han asked the presiding judge for permission to make a brief statement. Once allowed to speak, she immediately rejected some of the central allegations that have emerged in the broader investigation. She stated that she had never given 100 million Korean won (approximately 65,000 U.S. dollars) to conservative lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong (권성동). She also denied having given gifts to Kim Keon-hee (김건희), the wife of former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열). In addition, she said that she had never provided political funds to politicians.

Mother Han went on to criticize Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호), a former senior official within the Family Federation. According to the article, she said that Yoon had been someone she trusted and valued, but that he had created numerous false stories while acting on behalf of the Unificationism headquarters and affiliated organizations. She described this situation as deeply regrettable.

Having made these remarks, Hak Ja Han then announced that she would refuse to answer further questions. The article states that she told the court she had already expressed her position regarding the matters under discussion and therefore would decline to testify. Throughout the remainder of the hearing, she reportedly responded to every question with essentially the same phrase: “I refuse to testify.”

The article notes that lawyers representing Yoon Yeong-ho attempted to challenge this refusal. They pointed out that Mother Han had previously provided statements during a special prosecutor’s investigation and questioned whether those earlier statements had been inaccurate. Nevertheless, according to the report, she continued to decline answering and repeatedly invoked her refusal to testify.

To help readers understand the significance of the hearing, the article summarizes the criminal allegations that prosecutors have brought against Hak Ja Han. Prosecutors allege that she conspired with Unificationism officials, including former chief of staff Jeong Won-ju (정원주) and former Family Federation executive Yoon Yeong-ho, to provide political funds to politicians.

One allegation concerns the delivery of 100 million won in cash to lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong (권성동) in January 2022. Another allegation concerns the use of Unificationism-related funds to make what prosecutors describe as divided or split donations totaling 144 million won to members of the conservative People Power Party during March and April of that year.

The article further states that prosecutors accuse Mother Han and Yoon of arranging gifts for Kim Keon-hee (김건희) in July 2022. These gifts allegedly included luxury items such as a diamond necklace produced by the British jewelry company Graff and other valuables with a combined value of roughly 80 million won (ca. 52,000 US dollars). According to the NewsPim report, prosecutors also allege that funds belonging to Unificationism were improperly used or embezzled in order to obtain favors connected to political activities.

Importantly, the NewsPim article is written as a straightforward report on court proceedings. It does not present the allegations as proven facts. Instead, it reports both the prosecutors’ accusations and Mother Han’s denials. The article’s central newsworthy development is not new evidence but rather Hak Ja Han’s decision to appear in court, publicly deny key accusations, state that a former subordinate fabricated claims, and then refuse to provide substantive testimony during the witness examination.

For readers outside South Korea, the case is notable because many regard it as part of the crackdown by the current left-leaning Lee Jae-myung administration on leaders and organizations perceived to have supported the former conservative Yoon Suk-yeol administration. In that process, the former president of South Korea has already been given a life sentence.

The 12^th June hearing, as reported by NewsPim, offered a rare public appearance by Mother Han and provided a glimpse into how she responded to the accusations in this latest hearing in the case against her. As of the date of the article, the charges remained allegations under judicial review, and the hearings are set to continue, so that a final verdict is not expected until late July at the earliest.

See also Mother Han Delivers 10-Minute Court Statement

See also Defense Challenges Core Claims of Indictment

See also 3rd Extension of Mother Han’s Medical Release

See also Burden of Successor: Founders and Their Heirs

See also Alleged Bias: Investigating the Investigators

See also 7,000 Protesting Proposed Anti-Religious Law

See also South Korea’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism

See also “Church Closure” Risks in South Korea’s New Bill

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Hak Ja Han, Mother Han, in 2025 in Gapyeong, South Korea. Photo: Screenshot from video by FFWPU

Related to Mother Han denying charges: Religion Between Engagement and Withdrawal

And also related to Mother Han denying charges: State Failure and Non-State Peace Projects

More, related to Mother Han denying charges: Korea: Can Religion and Politics Be Disentangled?

Also related to Mother Han denying charges: A 10-Minute Visit to Mother Han in Detention

Even more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Denying Allegations: Hak Ja Han (82) in Inquiry

Also related to Mother Han denying charges: SKorean Court’s Sharp Criticism of Prosecutors

And also related to Mother Han denying charges: Detention: Harsh Cell Conditions Spark Outcry

More, related to Mother Han denying charges: Ugly: Arrest Warrant Sought for Hak Ja Han (82)

And more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Critics Warn of “Authoritarian Drift” in SKorea

Even more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Court Decision to Prolong Detention Condemned

Still more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Co-Founder, 82, Questioned 9 Hours by Prosecutors

Also related to Mother Han denying charges: Democratic Party’s Assault on Family Federation

And even more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Mother Han (82) in Poor Health in Damp, Cold Cell

And still more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Korean Crisis: “True Democracy Must Serve Heaven”

And yet more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Faith Leaders Protest State Assault on Religion

And more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Trump Raises Alarm Over Church Raids in Korea

Even more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Mike Pompeo Calls Probe of Co-Founder “Lawfare”

Still more, related to Mother Han denying charges:  Korean Faith Crackdown: USA Urged to Confront It

Yet more, related to Mother Han denying charges: Korean Bribery Scandal: Media Clears Federation

And also related to Mother Han denying charges: Raids Blur Line Between Justice and Politics

More, related to Mother Han denying charges: Heavy-Handed Raid on Sacred Sites Condemned