South Korean investigators seek arrest of leader of Unification Church in probe of ex-first lady

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean investigators said Thursday that they have requested an arrest warrant for the leader of the Unification Church. The announcement came a day after they questioned her about allegations that the church bribed the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol and a conservative lawmaker.

The church leader, Hak Ja Han, is the 82-year-old widow of the church’s South Korean founder, Sun Myung Moon. She and the church have denied allegations they bribed Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, and the lawmaker.

Park Sang-jin, an investigator involved in the case, told The Associated Press that a court hearing to decide whether to approve Han’s arrest was scheduled for next Monday.

Kim was arrested and charged last month on allegations including bribery, stock manipulation and meddling in the selection of a legislative candidate. Her lawyers have denied the allegations.

The lawmaker, Kweon Seong-dong , a staunch Yoon loyalist was arrested this week. He has denied receiving money from the church. Investigators visited the headquarters of his conservative People Power Party on Thursday to request documents to examine claims that Unification Church members signed up en masse before the party’s 2023 leadership race to boost Kweon’s candidacy.

The investigation into Kim is one of three special prosecutor probes launched under Seoul’s new liberal government targeting Yoon’s presidency. The others focus on Yoon’s planning and execution of martial law on Dec. 3 and his government’s alleged cover-up of a marine’s drowning death during a 2023 flood rescue operation.

His imposition of martial law, which was short lived, led to his impeachment later that month and removal from office in April.

The Unification Church criticized the investigators’ attempt to arrest Han, insisting that she does not pose a flight risk or a threat of destroying evidence, and has cooperated with the probe even while recovering from a heart procedure this month.

“Requesting an arrest warrant for an internationally respected religious leader without presenting clear evidence is an excessive move that disregards even the most basic respect due to a religious leader,” the church said in a statement.

Kim is suspected of accepting luxury gifts through an intermediary from a Unification Church official who allegedly sought various business favors, including the church’s participation in a Cambodian development project. The official, who has been arrested, is also suspected of providing 100 million won ($72,400) in bribes to Kweon.

Han was questioned for nearly 10 hours on Wednesday. She and her church have said the official overstepped his authority and acted on his own.

Han is the top leader of the church, officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which her husband founded in 1954.

A self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative family values, Moon built the Unification Church into an international movement with millions of followers and extensive business interests. The church is widely known for mass weddings, pairing thousands of couples who often are from different countries.