Mother Han Granted Bail Under Strict Conditions

Granted bail on health grounds, Hak Ja Han faces strict residence and contact restrictions during her current appeal case

On 19^th October 2026, several South Korean news outlets reported that the Seoul High Court had granted bail to Hak Ja Han (한학자), head of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), allowing her to continue her appeal against a two-year prison sentence without being held in detention. The ruling came just one day before the expiry of the suspension of her detention, which had allowed her to receive hospital treatment for health reasons.

See also Mother Han: A Cycle of Prosecution Without End

See also Tears After 13 Months of Prayer

The ruling does not determine the outcome of the appeal. The original conviction of the religious leader – also called Mother Han – remains subject to further judicial review, and she continues to deny that she directed or was aware of the alleged activities.

Court imposes strict conditions on release

According to News1, published in the late afternoon on 19^th October, the Seoul High Court’s 13^th Criminal Division approved Mother Han’s bail application after considering her health, the progress of the proceedings, and the extent to which evidence had already been collected. The panel consists of Judges Kim Mu-shin (김무신), Lee Woo-hee (이우희), and Yoo Dong-gyun (유동균).

The court nevertheless imposed conditions stricter than those attached to her previous suspension of detention. Mother Han must pay a cash bail deposit of 200 million won (approximately US$140,000), remain at the hospital where she is currently receiving treatment, and have no contact with anyone involved in the case.

Newsis and MBC News provide further details about the restrictions. According to Newsis, contact is permitted only with a very limited group of people, including medical personnel, lawyers, and individuals assisting Mother Han with mobility. Contact with all other people, including those connected to the case, is prohibited. MBC similarly emphasizes that she cannot return to her usual residence and must remain at the hospital.

Yonhap News also reports that the court explicitly required the bail deposit to be paid in cash. It explains that bail differs from a suspension of detention: the latter permits temporary release for urgent reasons, such as serious illness, whereas bail allows a defendant to remain free while proceedings continue, subject to specified conditions.

Mother Han’s appeal for release on health grounds

The reports also describe the arguments presented at the bail hearing on 13^th October.

According to News1, Mother Han told the court that she needed assistance to take her medication and could not manage by herself. She said she was unable to do anything independently and asked to be allowed to receive treatment while living at her usual residence with assistance.

Newsis reports additional remarks in which Mother Han described difficulties with her eyesight. She told the court that she could no longer see writing clearly at close range. She also expressed distress over her legal situation, saying that she had devoted her life to the cause of world peace and found it painful and distressing to face what she considered an unreasonable situation.

The special prosecution team opposed bail. As reported by News1, prosecutors acknowledged that Mother Han was experiencing health difficulties but questioned whether her condition posed a serious threat to her life. They therefore asked the court to reject her application.

The court ultimately accepted the application, citing her health, the progress of the case, and the degree of evidence collection. The stricter conditions, however, indicate that the release was not unconditional.

Background to detention and the appeal

Kookje Shinmun and Yonhap News provide additional background on the detention history of Hak Ja Han (한학자). Both report that she was arrested in September 2025 by the special prosecution team led by Min Joong-gi (민중기), which was investigating allegations of improper connections between the FFWPU and the administration of former President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열).

According to these reports, Mother Han was temporarily released in November 2025 after a suspension of detention was granted, but was subsequently returned to custody when an extension was denied. Her detention was suspended again in March 2026 so that she could receive hospital treatment. By the time bail was granted, she had been receiving treatment under this arrangement for approximately seven months.

The suspension was scheduled to expire at 3 p.m. on 20^th October. The 19^th October bail decision therefore ensured that Mother Han could remain outside detention as her appeal continued, albeit under more restrictive conditions.

News1, Newsis, and Yonhap all report that she had been sentenced in August to a total of two years in prison at her first trial. The sentence comprised one year for violating the Political Funds Act and another year for violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and occupational embezzlement.

Allegations and defence position

The reports summarize allegations concerning political contributions and gifts in 2022. Mother Han was accused of conspiring with former Family Federation officials, including former World Headquarters director Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) and former chief of staff Jeong Won-ju (정원주), to provide political funds to then-lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong (권성동) and make donations from FFWPU-affiliated organizational funds to politicians from the People Power Party.

She was also accused of conspiring with Yoon to provide expensive gifts to Kim Keon-hee (김건희), the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열). News1 highlights an alleged diamond necklace from British jeweller Graff and gifts valued at more than 80 million won in total. Yonhap additionally mentions an alleged Chanel handbag and claims that the gifts were connected to requests concerning the religious organization’s interests.

Kookje Shinmun explicitly presents the defence’s position: Han maintains that Yoon and other officials acted independently, without reporting to her or receiving instructions from her. She denies the allegations against her.

Kookje Shinmun also reports that the first appeal hearing took place on 13^th October and that the proceedings are underway.

Finally, News1, Kookje Shinmun, and Yonhap report a separate case in which Mother Han and former officials face additional charges involving the alleged embezzlement of approximately 10.5 billion won (about US$7.5 million). According to News1 and Kookje Shinmun, proceedings in that case are scheduled to begin on 12^th November.

The 19^th October ruling thus changes Mother Han’s detention status but does not resolve either case. She will remain at the hospital under strict bail conditions while the appeal against her two-year sentence proceeds.

See also Mother Han: A Cycle of Prosecution Without End

See also Tears After 13 Months of Prayer

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Dr. Hak Ja Han, aka. Mother Han, arriving in court in wheelchair. Here, at Seoul Central District Court 31^st August 2026. Photo: Dr. Michael Balcomb, resolution improved by ChatGPT, 6^th September 2026 

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