In connection with the alleged collusion between religion and politics, a detention legality review for Han Hak-ja, president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), began at 4 p.m. on the 1st and is underway.
According to the legal community that day, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeals Division 8-3 (Presiding Judges Choi Jin-suk, Cha Seung-hwan, and Choi Hae-il) is conducting a detention legality review for President Han, who is currently suspected of violating the Political Funds Act, among other charges. A detention legality review is a procedure in which a detained suspect asks the court to determine whether the detention is lawful. President Han appeared in person for the review.
Earlier, President Han has been in court custody since the 23rd of last month. On the 29th of the same month, President Han applied for a detention legality review.
At the review, the special counsel is expected to argue that detention is necessary because President Han was the final approver for passing various requests to former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife. By contrast, President Han's side is expected to cite her advanced age and poor health.
The result of the detention legality review for President Han could come as early as that night.
The alleged collusion between religion and politics centers on claims that President Han tried to deliver money and valuables to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong and others to seek favors on Unification Church issues.
The special counsel believes that in 2022, former Unification Church World Headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho instructed and approved, through shaman Jeon Seong-bae, the delivery to first lady Kim Keon-hee of a Chanel luxury-brand handbag and a Graff necklace, and that this was done by President Han. The team also concluded that President Han was involved when former chief Yoon delivered at least 1 billion won in illegal political funds to Representative Kweon.
President Han is also suspected of violating the Political Parties Act by organizing a mass enrollment of Unification Church believers as party members ahead of the People Power Party convention in Mar. 2023. In addition, around Oct. 2022, she allegedly ordered the destruction of evidence to quash an investigation into an overseas gambling trip in which she was implicated.
Meanwhile, on the 18th, the special counsel also sought an arrest warrant for Jeong Won-ju, former chief secretary to the Unification Church president, but the court rejected it the day before. In the substantive review of the warrant, the court found the special counsel had insufficiently substantiated that Jeong was an accomplice and that there was room to dispute the degree of responsibility. The court also said protecting the right to mount a defense was necessary.