A judge issues a warrant, and the leader of South Korea’s unification church is imprisoned

A South Korean court issued a warrant on Tuesday to detain Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Unification Church theological empire, in connection with graft charges against the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to a prosecutor.

It has been alleged that Han ordered the church to pay Kim Keon Hee, the former First Lady, for favors for the church’s commercial interests. She has referred to the accusations as “false information”.

Special prosecutors began a comprehensive criminal investigation into the former first couple, concentrating on the former first lady’s bribery claims, after Yoon was ousted from power due to a political crisis caused by his brief declaration of martial law last year.

Kim is on trial this week for bribery-related charges. Among the accusations, the prosecution said she is suspected of accepting bribes from the church. Detained as well, Yoon is facing a separate rebellion trial.

The team representing the special prosecutor told reporters that the court issued the warrant for Han’s arrest in order to safeguard the evidence.

Originally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the religion has adherents worldwide and owns businesses in the media, healthcare, and construction industries, among other sectors.

Self-proclaimed messiah Moon founded the group in South Korea in the 1950s, and it is well-known for its large weddings. However, it has come under fire for its fundraising practices and other problems, most recently a political controversy in Japan following the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“We will faithfully cooperate with the upcoming investigation and trial procedures to verify the truth, and do our utmost to use this as an opportunity to restore trust in our church,” the group stated in a statement.