SEOUL – South Korean prosecutors on Oct 10 indicted the Unification Church’s leader on charges of making illegal donations linked to the nation’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Han Hak-ja, 82, who was

arrested in September

over the allegations, was indicted “on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act”, a special counsel team said in a statement.

The church leader is suspected of involvement in giving a luxury necklace and bags to the wife of now-jailed former president Yoon Suk Yeol.

The Unification Church – often accused by critics of being a cult – was founded in 1954 by Han’s late husband, Mr Moon Sun-myung, and has long been the subject of controversy.

Han is accused of “delivering luxury goods worth about 82 million won (S$75,000) to the spouse of the (former) president on three occasions,” the special counsel team said.

The former first lady

has been arrested and indicted

on charges of bribery and stock market manipulation.

Her disgraced husband, Yoon, is also in custody and standing trial over his

declaration of martial law

in December.

Han also allegedly conspired with a former church official to give 100 million won to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in 2022 to seek favour with Yoo...