Seoul
AP
–
The 82-year-old Unification Church leader was arrested in South Korea early Tuesday, and investigators investigated allegations that the church had bribeed former president Yuk Yeol and the wife of a conservative lawmaker who was imprisoned.
Sang Myung Moon, the widow of Sang Myung Moon, the founder of Hak Ja Han Church, denied the allegations that she directed church officials to Yong’s wife, Kim Kae-on Hee and lawmakers.
Seoul Central District Court said investigators approved Han’s request for a warrant for arrest, poses the risk of her destroying the evidence.
Han did not speak to reporters as he arrived at Seoul Court on Monday for a hearing on the request for a warrant. After a few hours of hearing, the court issued the decision early on Tuesday as Han was waiting for a verdict at a detention centre near Seoul.
The Unification Church noted that she questioned her last week to question her while recovering from heart procedures earlier this month, criticising investigators for disrespectfulness of “an internationally respected religious leader” and criticising investigators’ attempts to arrest Han.
Kim was arrested and charged last month with allegations of bribery, stock manipulation and interfering with selection of legislative candidates.
Kwoong Song Dong, a solid Yoon Loyalist MP who was arrested last week, has denied receiving money from the church. Investigators also visited the headquarters of the conservative People’s Power Party last week to obtain documents to consider claims that Unification Church members had encouraged Qwoong’s candidacy ahead of the 2023 leadership race.
Kim’s investigation is one of three special prosecutor probes launched under Seoul’s new liberal government targeting Yoon’s presidency. Others focus on planning and execution of his short-lived martial law imposition on December 3, and on the plan and execution of the suspect, whose government allegedly cover up the death of the Marine Corps’ drowning death during a flood rescue operation in 2023.
Yoon’s martial law only lasted a few hours before the liberal-led parliament voted to lift it. He was blasted each in late December and officially removed from the office in April. He was re-arrested in July and is now facing rebellion and other charges.
Kim has been investigated for various criminal allegations stemming from events both before and after her husband’s presidency. The doubt includes accepting luxury gifts through intermediaries from Unification Church officials who allegedly sought the benefits of various businesses, including participation in the Church’s Cambodian Development Project. Officials arrested are also suspected of giving Kweon 100 million wins ($71,800) on the bribes.
Han was questioned for nearly 10 hours last Wednesday, denying allegations against her in a brief comment to a reporter. She and her church claimed that Yoon Young Ho, an arrested church official, stomped his authority and acted on his own.
Han is the top leader of the church and is officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unity, founded by her husband in 1954.
Moon was a self-proclaimed messiah who preached the Bible and conservative family values, and conservative family values, and built the Unification Church into an international movement with millions of followers and extensive business interests. Churches are widely known for their massive weddings, combining thousands of couples, often from different countries.
