South Korea revokes Unification Church leader’s bail after secret visits exposed

A South Korean court revoked the Unification Church leader’s bail in a bribery case on Tuesday after footage emerged of her visiting the secretive movement’s headquarters in breach of release conditions.

Han Hak-ja, 83, was sentenced to two years in prison in August for providing luxury items, including a designer handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon-hee while her husband Yoon Suk-yeol was president, in an attempt to secure policy favours.

She was granted bail two months later on health grounds, on condition that she stay at a Seoul hospital.

Footage aired on Monday by local broadcaster JTBC showed Han being driven from the hospital to the church headquarters known as Cheonjeonggung Palace.

Han would leave for the headquarters in Gapyeong County, east of Seoul, early in the morning and return to the hospital in the evening, according to the report, which prompted a review of her bail.

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South Korea’s Unification Church leader jailed for 2 years for bribing officials

“The Seoul High Court on Tuesday revoked bail for defendant Han,” the court said in a brief statement. “The court also ordered the forfeiture of Han’s bail bond.”

Yonhap news agency reported that the decision was made “over her visits to Cheonjeonggung Palace”.

The Unification Church has significant business interests spanning media, education and food distribution, and has long drawn scrutiny over its political ties in South Korea.

The church has denied wrongdoing, with a spokesman saying before the court’s decision that “Han’s outings were in accordance with doctors’ advice” and did “not constitute a violation of the bail terms”.

Founded in 1954 by Han’s late husband, Moon Sun-myung, the Unification Church has long drawn controversy over teachings that present Moon as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Han, revered by church members as the “True Mother”, took the helm of the church after Moon’s death in 2012. She was arrested in September 2025 in connection with the bribery case involving the former first lady.

The Unification Church, which claims to have 10 million followers worldwide, is best known for its mass wedding ceremonies, in which couples of different nationalities are matched, held at its headquarters in South Korea.