[Breaking] Dr. Hak Ja Han Denies All Charges in First Appellate Hearing
“Yoon Young-ho Acted Alone”
On October 13, the Seoul High Court held the first appellate hearing for Dr. Hak Ja Han, President of the Unification Church, former Chief of Staff Jeong Won-ju, and former World Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho.
The following is summarized based on reporting by Newspim.
■ Defense Arguments (Dr. Hak Ja Han’s Side)
- Former World Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho independently initiated contacts with politicians and provided money and gifts. There was no prior report to or approval from Dr. Han.
- “Contact with Yoon Suk-yeol was carried out solely by Yoon Young-ho. He did not report in advance, nor did he immediately report afterward.”
- After meeting former President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yoon Young-ho did not report to Dr. Han and instead celebrated with his spouse by drinking champagne in a hotel lounge.
- Yoon’s testimony, which formed the core basis of the first-instance conviction, has no evidentiary value because he refused to answer key cross-examination questions, violating the right to cross-examination.
- Without Yoon’s testimony, there is no evidence linking Dr. Han to the charges, and the lower court ruling should be overturned.
- Regarding the 100 million won delivered to former lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, the special report prepared by Yoon contains no mention of the money, and his statements about the packaging and delivery process are inconsistent.
- The Chanel bag and Graff necklace given to Kim Keon-hee were also decided solely by Yoon. His statements about item selection and whether he obtained prior approval from Dr. Han have repeatedly changed.
■ Arguments from Jeong Won-ju’s Side
- Yoon Young-ho acted alone.
- Yoon built political connections to maintain his position within the Unification Church and for personal gain, and did not report the details to Dr. Han or Jeong.
■ Special Prosecutor’s Arguments
- This case seriously undermines the separation of religion and state and hollows out the fairness of elections, which is the core of democracy, thereby gravely infringing upon multiple constitutional values.
- The sentence imposed by the lower court is excessively light relative to the defendants’ culpability.
- Dr. Han privatized the material and human resources of a religious organization and engaged in transactions to satisfy political interests.
- Even the embezzlement charge related to the split donations, which the first instance court ruled not guilty, involves intent to unlawfully acquire property.
- The charges of evidence destruction and some embezzlement that were dismissed also fall within the special prosecutor’s investigative scope.
Today as well, Dr. Han attended court in a wheelchair, still wearing hospital clothes.
The court is scheduled to proceed with a bail hearing for Dr. Han after completing arguments on the grounds of appeal and the admissibility of evidence.
Source: Newspim https://t.co/CVjwt0qtn7
The U.S. human rights group the Lantos Foundation, led by President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, has issued a statement to the South Korean government on the first-instance verdict against Dr. Hak Ja Han.
“Fair-minded people can recognize an injustice when they see one, and South Korea has perpetrated an unmistakable injustice with its targeting of religious leader Dr. Hak Ja Han.”
“It is shameful to witness a democratic government hounding and persecuting an 83-year-old religious leader like a criminal, though she has no criminal record whatsoever. Despite her fragile health, Dr. Han has already been detained for a year in terrible conditions.”
“Her real ‘crime’ seems to be her principled opposition to communism, and reports of the CCP’s hand in advocating for her prosecution should alarm everyone who cares about freedom of belief.”
The Foundation urges South Korea to allow Dr. Han to leave prison while her appeal is considered.