Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja returned to detention on Saturday after the Seoul Central District Court rejected her request to extend a temporary health-related release. This follows her second suspension of detention since her September 2025 arrest on bribery charges involving gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, amid broader probes into the church's political influence.
Han Hak-ja was arrested in September 2025 and indicted in October by a special counsel on violations of the political funds law, including allegations of gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bag to Kim Keon Hee. She has remained detained while awaiting trial, which has garnered attention due to its political connections.
She received her first temporary release in November 2025 for eye surgery. The second, granted on February 11, 2026, allowed treatment for a recent fall but was limited through Saturday. The court denied the extension request on Friday, prompting her return to detention, legal sources confirmed Sunday.
Han previously appeared in a wheelchair at a September 22, 2025, hearing on the legality of her arrest. Her case overlaps with separate investigations, including December 2025 police raids identifying her as a suspect in a bribery probe involving politicians from both major parties.
