A 13-year prison term was sought for Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), identified as the focal point of alleged collusion between the church and politics. Special prosecutor Min Joong-ki, who investigated allegations involving Kim Keon-hee, said Han used Unification Church funds and its organization to improperly collude with political circles.
On the 10th, special prosecutor Min Joong-ki made the request during the closing arguments hearing in the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (presiding judge Woo In-sung) for Han's charges including violating the Political Funds Act and embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. A sentence request is the term the prosecutor asks the court to impose.
The special prosecutor asked for five years in prison for Han's violation of the Political Funds Act and eight years for the remaining charges, respectively.
For Jeong Won-ju, former chief of staff to the leader who was indicted together, the special prosecutor sought four years in prison for violating the Political Funds Act and six years for the remaining charges. For Yoon Young-ho, former Unification Church world headquarters chief, the request was one year and six months for violating the Political Funds Act and two years for the remaining charges. For Yoon's spouse, a person surnamed Lee, three years in prison was sought.
The special prosecutor said, "Han and others, aiming to realize a union of religion and state to expand religious interests and influence, used vast financial resources to unlawfully and unjustly exploit state power." The prosecutor added, "This is a grave crime that squarely violates the spirit of the Constitution and undermines representative democracy."
The special prosecutor viewed that Han and others used church members' offerings for private purposes and improperly colluded with political forces. The special prosecutor said, "Han, at the top echelon of the religious organization, and others used offerings voluntarily given by members for private purposes and improperly colluded with political forces to try to influence the Republic of Korea," and added, "Please impose a stern sentence to ensure illegal religion–state collusion and state capture by religious organizations like the Unification Church never happen again."
Regarding Han, the special prosecutor stressed that responsibility is great as the final decision-maker. The special prosecutor said, "Han, the ultimate decision-maker on key affairs, is a principal participant who led all the crimes yet denies them and shows no remorse," adding, "The nature of the crime is grave."
Han is suspected of conspiring with former chief Jeong and former headquarters chief Yoon to hand 100 million won in cash around January 2022 to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong as political funds. There are also allegations that around March–April the same year, 144 million won of Unification Church organization funds was distributed as donations to People Power Party lawmakers. So-called "split donations" refers to a method of taking money from an organization or a specific individual and dividing it under multiple people's names to make it appear as political contributions.
Han is also suspected of conspiring with former headquarters chief Yoon to give, in two instances in July 2022, Kim a Graff London diamond necklace worth around 60 million won and other valuables totaling around 80 million won. The special prosecutor viewed that Unification Church agenda lobbying took place in the process.
Charges were also applied for siphoning Unification Church funds to finance illegal political funds and the purchase of expensive valuables. Han and former chief Jeong are also suspected of, after obtaining investigative information in October 2022 related to overseas gambling at a Las Vegas casino in the United States, ordering former headquarters chief Yoon to destroy evidence.