At trial of S.Korea's Unification Church head, prosecutors allege luxury bribes

The trial of the head of South Korea's Unification Church started on Monday, with prosecutors portraying Han Hak-ja as keen to exert political influence and accusing her of using Chanel bags to bribe former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.



The case is part of a string of investigations by special prosecutors into ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim in the wake of Yoon's martial law order in December 2024.



Attending the hearing in a wheelchair, Han, 82, denied the accusations.



Han, head of the religious group now known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, sought to bribe Kim with two Chanel bags, a diamond necklace and wild ginseng in return for business and political favours, prosecutors said.



Kim has admitted she received the bags as gifts from the church via a broker, but claimed there was no quid pro quo.



Han is also accused of bribing a close confidante of Yoon with cash, and helping Yoon win the presidential election in 2022 by mobilising church members in return for his backing of church projects.



Prosecutors argued that Han misappropriated the donations of church members.