Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja sentenced to two years for bribing South Korea's former first lady

A South Korean court sentenced Han Hak-ja, the 83-year-old widow of Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, to two years in prison for bribing former first lady Kim Keon Hee and other political funding offences. The court found that the church gave Kim two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace worth 80 million won ($57,900) between April and July 2022 in exchange for business and political favours. Kim was earlier sentenced to 20 months in jail for accepting bribes. Han denied the allegations, calling them false. Prosecutors said the probe confirmed the church's attempt to buy political influence and released photos of $19 million in cash found in Han's safe. Kim admitted receiving the bags but said she returned them unused. The Unification Church, founded in the 1950s, is known for mass weddings and has been criticized as cult-like. It has faced scrutiny in Japan after the assassination of Shinzo Abe.