Mother Han: Prosecutors Seek 13-Year Sentence

South Korean special prosecutors ask for “death sentence” for religious leader: 13 years in prison for 83-year-old Mother Han

The large South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo reported in an article by Kim Na-yeong (김나영) on 10^th July about the final hearing in the case against Hak Ja Han (한학자), the longtime leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, commonly known in Korea as Unificationism (통일교). Special prosecutors have requested a 13-year prison sentence for the 83-year-old religious leader, whom many call Mother Han. The case is one of the most significant legal proceedings to emerge from the investigation into the relationship between Unificationism and the administration of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열).

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Commenting on the expected deliberately harsh stance of the special prosecutors, in a statement on 9^th July the Family Federation leadership of North America and Europe claims,

“After months of detention and interrogation, the government’s case rests on innuendo, association, and a maze of technical accusations that obscure more than they prove.”

At the center of the prosecution’s case is the allegation that senior figures within the religious organization cultivated improper political influence by providing money, luxury gifts, and financial support to prominent conservative politicians and public officials. According to the Chosun Ilbo article, special prosecutors led by Min Joong-gi (민중기) argue that these activities amounted to an illegal intertwining of religion and politics that undermined South Korea’s constitutional system.

The sentencing request was made on 10^th July 2026, during the final hearing before the Seoul Central District Court. A request for a particular sentence, however, does not mean that the defendant has been convicted. Under South Korean criminal procedure, prosecutors present their recommended punishment before the court delivers its verdict at a later date.

According to the special prosecution team, Mother Han was not merely aware of the alleged activities but served as the ultimate decision-maker within the religious organization and was the primary beneficiary of its political lobbying efforts. Prosecutors therefore asked the court to impose a total sentence of 13 years in prison. They proposed five years for alleged violations of the Political Funds Act and an additional eight years for the remaining charges.

The Chosun Ilbo writes that the case also involves several former senior officials of Unificationism. Prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence for former chief of staff Jeong Won-ju (정원주), describing her as Mother Han‘s closest aide who played a central role in implementing major decisions. They further alleged that Jeong helped establish off-the-books funds that were ultimately intended for Mother Han.

Former World Headquarters Director Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) faces a requested sentence of three years and six months. Although prosecutors argued that Yoon committed crimes in order to expand his own influence within the religious organization, they also acknowledged that many of his actions were allegedly carried out under Mother Han‘s direction. Yoon‘s wife, a former finance director within the Family Federation identified only by her surname Lee, faces a requested sentence of three years on charges related to embezzlement. Prosecutors stated that while she exercised considerable control over the finances of the religious organization, they took into account her cooperative attitude during the investigation and the fact that she acted under instructions from senior officials.

The prosecution described the case in unusually strong language. It argued that the affair was not simply a matter of campaign finance violations but represented an attempt by a religious organization to insert itself into the highest levels of government decision-making. According to prosecutors, this conduct disrupted South Korea’s constitutional order and amounted to an abuse of state power. They urged the court to impose severe punishments to deter similar conduct by religious organizations in the future.

The Chosun Ilbo report points out that the charges against Hak Ja Han cover several separate allegations.

One concerns an alleged payment of 100 million won (approximately US$75,000 at the time) made in January 2022 to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong (권성동). Prosecutors allege that Mother Han, together with Jeong and Yoon, sought favorable treatment for Unificationism from the incoming Yoon administration and violated South Korea’s Political Funds Act by providing the money.

A second allegation involves what Korean prosecutors describe as “split donations” (쪼개기 후원), a practice in which a large contribution is broken into many smaller donations made under different names or through multiple individuals in order to evade legal limits or disclosure requirements. Prosecutors claim that between March and April 2022, approximately 144 million won in funds connected to Unificationism was distributed in this manner to lawmakers belonging to the conservative People Power Party and other politicians.

Another major allegation concerns luxury gifts reportedly intended for First Lady Kim Keon Hee (김건희). Prosecutors allege that Mother Han instructed an intermediary, Jeon Seong-bae (전성배), to deliver a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel handbag to Kim in July 2022. They contend that this violated South Korea’s Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, which regulates gifts provided to public officials and their spouses.

Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) has also been indicted separately in another criminal case involving alleged bribery. However, in the present proceedings, he is being tried only on charges related to the political donations and associated offenses.

The trial forms part of a broader investigation launched by the current left-leaning Lee Jae-myung (이재명) administration into allegations that Unificationism maintained unusually close ties with senior members of the conservative Yoon administration. Since the assassination of former conservative Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 – which drew international attention to the political connections of the religious organization in Japan – its activities and influence have come under increased scrutiny. In South Korea, based on those concerns, the Lee administration appointed special prosecutors to start criminal investigations focusing on whether Unificationism officials sought to influence government policy through unlawful political contributions, lobbying, and the provision of expensive gifts.

The court has not yet issued its verdict. The prosecution’s presentation represents only one side of the case, and the defendants remain presumed innocent until the court reaches a final judgment. Nevertheless, the prosecution’s request for a 13-year prison sentence against Mother Han underscores the seriousness with which investigators view the allegations and marks one of the most consequential legal cases involving Unificationism in South Korea’s history.

See also Editorial Challenges Prosecution of Mother Han

See also Mother Han: Beyond One Trial – the Wider Stakes

See also Mother Han: The Dangers of Guilt by Position

See also U.S. Officials Investigating Korean Arrests

See also South Korea’s Slide Toward Authoritarianism

See also Hunting “Heretics”: Justice Minister Quoting Bible

See also Shocking Pretrial Detention of Faith Leader (95)

See also Should Democracies Have “Recognized Religions”?

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Hak Ja Han, aka. Mother Han in 2023. Photo: FFWPU, improved for higher resolution and sharpness by Grok xAI, 16^th June 2026.

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