South Korean prosecutors on Thursday requested an arrest warrant for Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, over allegations of bribery, embezzlement, and incitement to destroy evidence.
The move came a day after the 82-year-old was questioned about her alleged role in bribing former first lady Kim Keon Hee and a prominent lawmaker. Prosecutor Park Sang-jin said the charges include violations of the political funds and anti-graft laws, noting a “high risk” of Han tampering with evidence.
Han is accused of sending luxury gifts, including a designer handbag and a diamond necklace, to Kim in 2022 to curry favour with her husband, then-president Yoon Suk Yeol, who has since been impeached and removed from office over a failed martial law declaration.
She also faces allegations of bribing MP Kweon Seong-dong with 100 million won (US$72,000). Han denied wrongdoing when questioned for over nine hours on Wednesday. A court is expected to review the warrant request early next week.
