Leader of Unification Church Arrested for Alleged Bribery

Hak Ja Han Moon, born February 10, 1943 (lunar January 6), in Sinui village, Anju district (now North Korea), is a Korean religious leader and current head of the Unification Church, succeeding her late husband, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who founded the movement.[1][3][5] Raised in a devout Christian family amid communist persecution, she was imprisoned at age five with her mother for 11 days and fled south in 1948 with her mother and grandmother, enduring a perilous border crossing before settling in Daegu.[1][3][4][6] At 17, Han married the 40-year-old Moon in 1960, becoming his spiritual counterpart in the church's theology, which centers their union and 14 children as the "true family" model for humanity's salvation.[2][5] She co-founded initiatives like the Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet in 1962 to promote South Korea globally and has led massive "blessing" weddings marrying thousands of couples worldwide, solidifying her messianic status alongside Moon.[5] Under her leadership post-Moon's 2012 death, the church expanded a business empire including the New Yorker Hotel, Yongpyong Ski Resort, and Cheongshim International Academy.[2] Han co-founded the Universal Peace Federation, advocating Korean unification; in 1991, she and Moon met North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, fostering ongoing peace projects.[6][7] She has spoken at international conferences, including one in 1984 attended by scholars from Harvard and others.[5] Now 82 (turning 83 in 2026), Han faces intense scrutiny amid scandals: a Japanese court ordered the church's dissolution, and in September 2025, she was arrested in Seoul on bribery charges for allegedly gifting luxury items worth $57,900 to former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, leading to her jailing and renewed debate over the church's political ties and fundraising.[2][5][8] These crises highlight ongoing tensions with her claimed divine role.[2]

Kim Keon-hee, born September 2, 1972, in Yangpyeong, South Korea, is a businesswoman and former First Lady of South Korea.[1][2] She graduated from Kyonggi University with a degree in painting, earned a master's in art education, and obtained a doctorate in digital content design from Kookmin University.[1][4] Changing her name from Kim Myeong-sin in 2008, she worked as an art instructor and exhibition organizer before founding Covana Contents in 2007 (or 2009 per some accounts), serving as its CEO to promote art exhibitions and Korean culture.[1][2][4] She married Yoon Suk Yeol in 2012 at age 40; he was a prosecutor at the time.[1][2] When Yoon was elected president in March 2022, Kim became First Lady, preferring the term "first spouse."[2] She supported animal rights, advocating against the dog meat trade, and focused on creating a supportive environment for her husband's duties while maintaining a higher public profile than predecessors through her fashion and art interests.[1][5] Her tenure was marked by controversies. She apologized in 2021 for exaggerating her resume, including false claims of ties to NYU Stern and a Seoul National University master's, during university job applications.[1][2][5] Allegations included stock manipulation profits from Deutsche Motors (under investigation), tax evasion, kickbacks from exhibitions, and plagiarism in her theses, despite her university clearing her.[2][4] As First Lady, she faced claims of influence-peddling, receiving luxury gifts like a Graff necklace and Chanel bag, and meddling in government appointments.[3][5] Yoon's presidency ended in 2025 amid scandals, including his failed martial law declaration, with Kim arrested in August 2025 for related crimes, marking a historic dual detention of a former presidential couple.[3][5] Post-role, investigations into her continue.[1][3]

Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012) was a Korean religious leader who founded the Unification Church, formally known as the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, in Seoul, South Korea, in 1954.[1][2][3][6] Born on January 6, 1920, into a farming family in what is now North Korea, his family converted to Christianity when he was a child; at age 15, he claimed a revelation from Jesus tasking him with completing the unfinished work of salvation, leading him to develop the Divine Principle, a core text blending Christian teachings, Eastern mysticism, and anti-communism.[1][2][3][5] Moon studied electrical engineering at Waseda University in Japan in the 1940s, cooperated briefly with Korean independence activists, and married his first wife in 1944 before leaving her to preach.[1][2] Imprisoned multiple times by North Korean communists in the late 1940s for "disturbing the social order," he endured torture at the Hungnam labor camp until his 1950 release by UN forces during the Korean War; he then trekked south to Busan, building the church's first structure from discarded boxes.[1][2][3][4] A staunch anti-communist, he viewed the Cold War as a divine struggle, with Korea as the frontline.[1] In 1960, Moon married Hak Ja Han in a "Holy Marriage" ceremony, seen by followers as restoring humanity to God's lineage; they had 14 children.[2] He expanded globally, sending missionaries to Japan in 1958 and the US in 1959-1965, unifying groups there by 1971 amid controversies over recruitment and finances.[2][4][6] Notable ventures included sponsoring the 1982 film *Inchon* (a critical flop) and founding Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma soccer club in 1989, which won multiple South Korean titles before its record fell in 2020.[1] In 1991, he met North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, promoting reunification despite past imprisonment.[3][4] Moon positioned himself as the "Lord of the Second Advent," overseeing mass blessings for followers.[6] He died in 2012 at age 92; his wife and family lead the church and affiliates like the Universal Peace Federation today.[3]