Court rejects claim that Unification Church political donations were Yoon Young-ho’s unilateral decision

A Seoul court has rejected the Unification Church’s claim that former senior official Yoon Young-ho independently arranged political donations before South Korea’s 2022 presidential election. The court concluded that the payments followed approval from church leader Hak Ja Han and another senior figure, Jung Won-joo.

The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 27 examined a special church gathering held on March 2, 2022, one week before the election. The court found that Hak’s remarks conveyed support for presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. She asked who would follow heaven’s will and lead the nation responsibly, adding that “we cannot wait another five years.”

After the gathering, donations totaling 134.4 million won were sent to regional offices of the People Power Party. The court noted that officials from five church districts appear to have held a follow-up meeting about Hak’s speech. It also highlighted that requests, approvals and payments for the funds were completed in a single day, five days before the election.

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We cannot wait another five years.

The court reached the same conclusion after reviewing written reports that district leaders sent to Hak after Yoon’s victory. One report said it was frightening to imagine what might have happened without “heaven’s decision.” Another expressed hope that President-elect Yoon would follow heaven’s will and serve the church’s “True Parents.”

Hak’s defense had argued that Yoon Young-ho planned the offenses and reported them afterward. The court said such a unilateral decision was not credible, citing testimony that activities supporting Yoon and the release of funds could not have occurred without Hak’s tacit consent. It also discounted contrary testimony from five district leaders, saying they remained affiliated with the church and had incentives to testify favorably for Hak. Hak was previously sentenced to one year for violating political funding law and another year for anti-graft and occupational embezzlement offenses.

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Activities supporting candidate Yoon and the release of funds could not be carried out by Yoon Young-ho alone. There had to be Hak Ja Han’s tacit consent.