When Believers See a Mother, Not a Manager

South Korean daily: “Serious mistake to evaluate finances of charismatic religious movement of Mother Han according to standards used for ordinary corporations or businesses”

The South Korean daily Segye Ilbo published on 8^th May 2026 an article titled “The Sacred Weight of Motherhood and Religious Assets in Our Time”. The opinion piece by religion reporter Jeong Seong-su (정성수) is a strongly sympathetic commentary defending Hak Ja Han (한학자 against ongoing scrutiny by South Korean investigative authorities regarding the management and use of religious funds.

See also Mother Han Denies Charges, Declines to Testify

See also Is It Civic Education or Political Involvement?

See also Statement on Principles of Political Neutrality

See also Court Extension of Mother Han’s Medical Release

See also Alleged Bias: Investigating the Investigators

The author argues that government investigators are making a serious mistake by evaluating the finances of a charismatic religious movement according to the standards used for ordinary corporations or businesses. To the writer, this approach misunderstands the spiritual nature of religious leadership and ignores the emotional bond between believers and their leader.

In South Korea, religion often occupies a uniquely influential place in public life. A religious leader is not always viewed simply as administrator of an institution or manager of an organization, but may be regarded by followers as a spiritual parent whose authority is deeply personal, symbolic, and emotional.

This cultural and religious context is important for understanding Jeong’s opinion column about Hak Ja Han, the co-founder and leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which in Korea often is referred to simply as Unificationism (통일교).

The article begins with a reflection on the meaning of parenthood, especially motherhood, in Korean culture. May in Korea is associated with family celebrations such as Parents’ Day, and the author uses this atmosphere to evoke feelings of gratitude and longing toward parents who sacrifice themselves for their children. Parents are portrayed as people who willingly suffer hardship so their children can live more comfortably. This idea of selfless, downward-flowing love becomes the central metaphor of the essay.

The writer then connects this idealized image of motherhood to Hak Ja Han herself. Many members of her religious movement refer to her as “True Mother” or “Mother of Peace”, titles that reflect a theological understanding of her role. According to the article, followers around the world feel pain and sadness when they see her investigated by authorities because they view the investigation not simply as a legal matter, but as an attack on a maternal and spiritual figure they deeply revere.

A major argument in the opinion piece concerns the nature of religious money. The author emphasizes that funds within founder-centered religious movements cannot be understood in the same way as the finances of ordinary companies. In a corporation, money belongs to shareholders or legal entities and is managed through standardized accounting systems. But in charismatic religious communities, the writer argues, donations are given not merely to maintain offices or pay salaries. Instead, believers see their contributions as offerings dedicated to a spiritual mission, a vision for peace, or the fulfillment of sacred purposes associated with the movement’s goals, the founder’s vision, and religious leadership.

The article describes these funds as “providential funds” (섭리 자금), meaning money devoted to carrying out a divine or spiritual mission. From this perspective, the resources controlled by the religious leader are not personal luxury assets, nor are they ordinary corporate accounts. Rather, they are viewed as part of a sacred trust between the leader and the believers.

Religion reporter Jeong further argues that many religions throughout history were not fully institutionalized while their founders were alive. During the lifetime of a founder, movements often rely more on personal authority, charisma, and symbolic leadership than on rigid administrative systems. Only after the founder’s death do many religious organizations become more bureaucratic, regulated, and corporate in structure. Therefore, the author claims, it is historically and religiously naïve to apply modern business standards too rigidly to a living religious movement led by a charismatic figure.

The article also warns that such investigations could create dangerous precedents. If governments use ordinary corporate accounting logic to judge religious organizations without considering their theological and historical context, the writer fears this could eventually become a political tool for targeting unpopular or controversial religions.

To strengthen the portrayal of Hak Ja Han as a humanitarian and maternal figure, the article highlights several examples of her international activities. One major example is her visit to Gorée Island in Senegal, a place historically connected to the Atlantic slave trade. According to the article, she wept there as though mourning children abandoned in the suffering of history. The author interprets her emotional response not as political theater, but as an expression of universal motherhood and compassion for humanity.

The essay also points to humanitarian efforts connected to her leadership, including the donation of a relief ship called Peace Wings to help residents of the island who lacked adequate medical services. The author uses this example to argue that financial resources under her management have been used for humanitarian purposes rather than personal gain.

Another major example discussed is the Sunhak Peace Prize, an international award established to honor individuals who contribute to peace, human welfare, and future generations. The article presents the prize as evidence that religious wealth can serve broader public purposes beyond the interests of a single organization. In the author’s view, this demonstrates that Hak Ja Han sees herself not as an owner of wealth, but as a caretaker temporarily entrusted with resources meant to benefit humanity.

The column also refers to painful legal disputes within her own family over church-related assets. Rather than interpreting these disputes as evidence of internal corruption or personal greed, the writer frames them as proof of her determination to protect what followers believe are sacred public assets built through the sacrifices and devotion of believers worldwide. The article emphasizes that she often prioritized missionaries and suffering people over even her own biological family members, reinforcing the image of self-sacrificing motherhood.

Toward the end, the tone becomes more openly political and cautionary. The author argues that the investigation risks appearing like a “targeted investigation” aimed at damaging the symbolic legitimacy of the movement while harming ordinary employees and families connected to it. Although the article acknowledges that law enforcement must remain impartial, it insists that authorities should also exercise restraint and respect toward the unique historical and religious character of faith communities.

Ultimately, the article is less about accounting or legal technicalities than about competing ways of understanding religious authority. One side sees financial management primarily through the lens of legal accountability and institutional transparency. The other sees religious leadership through the lens of spiritual symbolism, sacrificial motherhood, and collective mission. The writer clearly favors the latter interpretation and urges society to look beyond stereotypes or public hostility toward religious groups that may be controversial.

For non-Korean readers, the article offers insight into how religious devotion, Confucian-influenced ideas of parenthood, charismatic authority, and modern legal institutions can collide within contemporary Korean society. Whether one agrees with the article’s arguments or not, it reflects a worldview in which religion is not merely organizational, but deeply familial, emotional, and symbolic.

See also Mother Han Denies Charges, Declines to Testify

See also Is It Civic Education or Political Involvement?

See also Statement on Principles of Political Neutrality

See also Court Extension of Mother Han’s Medical Release

See also Alleged Bias: Investigating the Investigators

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above:  Hak Ja Han, Mother Han 14th August 2022 in Gapyeong, South Korea. Photo: Graeme Carmichael

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