The Kim Keon-hee special counsel said on the 18th that it requested an arrest warrant for Han Hak-ja, the Unification Church president, on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act. The special counsel summoned and questioned Han for nine and a half hours the previous day.
At a press briefing that day, special counsel deputy Park Sang-jin said, "This morning we requested arrest warrants for Unification Church President Han Hak-ja and former presidential chief of staff Jung Won-ju on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act."
The special counsel believes that in 2022 former Unification Church World Headquarters head Yoon Young-ho instructed and approved, through shaman Jeonseong-bae known as Geonjin beopsa, the delivery of a Chanel luxury-brand bag and a Graff necklace to first lady Kim Keon-hee, and that this was done by President Han. It also concluded that President Han was involved when former headquarters head Yoon delivered at least 100 million won in illegal political funds to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong.
President Han also faces charges of violating the Political Parties Act for allegedly organizing the mass enrollment of Unification Church members as party members ahead of the People Power Party convention in Mar. 2023. In addition, around Oct. 2022, she is accused of instructing the destruction of evidence to quash an investigation into overseas high-stakes gambling in which she was implicated.
President Han ignored the special counsel's summons three times before complying the previous day. She was said to have denied most of the charges against her.
After the questioning ended, when reporters asked, "Why did you deliver 100 million won to lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong," President Han said, "Why would I need to do that." When asked, "Did you directly order or approve the solicitation," she said, "No." When asked, "Have you ever delivered a necklace and a bag to first lady Kim Keon-hee," she said, "Why would I do that."
Meanwhile, the special counsel will summon lawmaker Kweon for the first time since his arrest at 2 p.m. today. Kweon was arrested on the night of the 16th on charges of receiving illegal political funds from the Unification Church side.
Since the introduction of the special prosecutor system in 1999, this was the first time a special counsel had secured the custody of a sitting lawmaker.