Supreme Court dismisses Yoon’s appeal — UC “Special Statement” (2026-07-09)

[최종근]

Supreme Court dismisses Yoon Young-ho’s appeal — Unification Church leadership’s “Special Statement” pinning its hopes on a single “date in a notebook” (2026-07-09)

On July 9, 2026, the Third Division of the Supreme Court (Presiding Justice Oh Seok-chun) dismissed the appeal in the case against former Director-general Yoon Young-ho—who was charged with embezzlement, violations of the Political Funds Act, destruction of evidence, solicitation of improper favors, and violations of the Act on the Prohibition of the Exchange of Money and Gifts—thereby upholding the appellate court’s sentence of one year and six months in prison.

On that day, the Supreme Court handed down rulings not only in the Yoon Young-ho case (2026 Do 6718) but also in the case of Geonjin Monk, also known as Jeon Seong-bae (2026 Do 8525); the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals in both cases.

▶ “Hankyoreh” article (2026-07-09)

https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/1267458.html

통일교-김건희 금품 청탁…건진법사 징역 5년·윤영호 1년6개월 확정

Yoon Young-ho appeared in court as the defendant, and his family, including his wife Lee Shin-hye, was present in the gallery. Meanwhile, the defendants in the other cases did not appear in court.

After the presiding judge read out the case number, he announced, “The appeal is dismissed,” and the pronouncement of the judgment was over in the blink of an eye.

◆ “Special Statement to all members” by the Unification Church leadership

Immediately after the Supreme Court dismissed Yoon Young-ho’s appeal, the Unification Church leadership, in an unusual move, posted a statement titled “Special Statement to all members” on the Unification Church’s official website.

https://ffwp.org/list/blank_view.php?menuKey=107&numberKey=27897&page=4

Members had long pointed out issues surrounding President Han Hak-ja’s defense team and demanded that the church clarify the details of its legal response.

However, the reality is that the Unification Church leadership has consistently ignored these concerns.

Nevertheless, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Yoon Young-ho—perhaps out of concern that President Han might face a severe sentence—the Unification Church leadership finally disclosed part of its “legal response” at this precise moment, with President Han’s final trial scheduled for the following day.

1. “Yoon Young-ho’s notebook” is a key piece of evidence

The Unification Church leadership emphasizes that the greatest achievement in President Han Hak-ja’s defense was determining that the date of the meeting with Representative Kwon Seong-dong, as recorded in Yoon Young-ho’s notebook, was “January 3, 2023,” not “January 3, 2022.”

Furthermore, the church leadership explained, “We are proceeding with the trial by raising various points of contention, focusing on the facts of the case, the credibility of the evidence, and the appropriateness of the application of legal principles.”

However, it will likely be difficult to overturn the entire course of the case based solely on the issue of the date recorded in Yoon Young-ho’s notebook.

This is because there are other key facts, such as the meeting with Representative Kwon Seong-dong on January 3, 2022; the fact that the meeting with Representative Kwon took place through an introduction by Chairman Yoon Jeong-ro; the issue surrounding the 3 to 5 billion won in financial support; as well as the fact that on March 2, 2022, at the Jamshil Lotte Hotel, President Han Hak-ja instructed support for candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, and the entries in the notebooks of the district heads at the time—all of these are interrelated.

【Reference post】

▶ Reasons and grounds for concluding that Lee Cheong-woo authored “My position” and “My position②” (2026-04-16)

https://cafe.daum.net/antiuccorruption/as2X/748

＜나의 입장＞과 ＜나의 입장2＞를 이청우가 직접 쓴 것이라고 하는 사유와 근거 (2026-04-16)

2. The reality surrounding the trial

Despite the fact that President Han’s trial has been proceeding unfavorably, the Unification Church leadership has been stalling for time as much as possible while downplaying the situation to Church members, making it seem as though there is no major issue.

This time also, while acknowledging that “the Special Prosecutor may seek a severe sentence for Mother at the final hearing on July 10,” they have emphasized that “(however) it is the court that will hand down the final verdict,” thereby fostering unfounded expectations among church members.

3. The leadership’s response to concerns raised by members

The Unification Church leadership has stated the following:

“Within the community, various opinions and claims erupted all at once, and unverified information spread rapidly.”

“Furthermore, the disorderly dissemination of differing opinions to the outside world has shaken the order of the community.”

“This situation also hindered the organized legal response on behalf of True Mother.”

In other words, the church is attempting to evade its own responsibility by blaming ordinary members—claiming that their efforts to learn the truth about the court proceedings and their voluntary attempts to ensure that President Han received a proper legal defense actually hindered the church’s organized legal response.

4. Shifting all responsibility onto President Han Hak-ja

When it became clear that the prosecution would inevitably seek a sentence against President Han, the Unification Church leadership issued the following appeal:

“No matter what sentence the prosecution seeks, and no matter what the outcome of the trial may be, we must never waver.”

“What True Mother desires is not for our community to accuse one another and become divided. It is for us to become more united than ever and to stand by True Mother’s side until the very end.”

However, the direct cause of President Han Hak-ja’s detention was her refusal to comply with the Special Prosecutor’s summonses to appear even for three consecutive times, which was done according to the church leadership’s policy.

Furthermore, the fact that the church leadership pursued a trial strategy that prioritized protecting Jeong Won-ju played a major role in increasing the likelihood that President Han would receive a severe sentence.

Furthermore, it was also the church leadership that dismissed the members’ entirely legitimate concerns by judging them as the work of “external impure forces” and silenced their voices.

▶ Family Federation for World Peace and Unification official website (2025-09-18)

https://www.ffwp.org/list/blank_view.php?menuKey=106&numberKey=26609

구속영장 청구와 우리의 기도

Yet, the leadership insists, “We have done our best and worked diligently.”

One cannot help but wonder: Whose “best” is this, and for whose protection have they been working so hard?

5. Joint Statement by the Unification Church leadership

The “Special Statement to all members” was issued not in the name of the Association, but jointly by the Unification Church leadership.

However, the names of the “Inheritors of Heavenly Love” (Moon Shin-chul and Moon Shin-heung) are not listed there.

For further details, please refer to the full text provided below.

2026-07-09

Choi Jong-keun

[Unification Church Anti-Corruption Monitoring Committee]

*As this document was generated by AI, it may contain typos or mistranslations.

▶ Heavy sentence for Pres. Han due to aide’s betrayal? (2026-07-02)

https://cafe.daum.net/antiuccorruption/cRwZ/40

▶ “Protecting Jeong Won-ju = Protecting President Han”… a “bizarre defense argument” spreading within the church (2026-07-08)

https://cafe.daum.net/antiuccorruption/ZXsd/1553

▶ July 9: Supreme Court ruling on Yoon Young-ho — Affirmation of the Appellate Court’s ruling Is the best outcome for President Han (2026-07-08)

https://cafe.daum.net/antiuccorruption/as2X/782

[Special Statement to All Members]

“Please do not worry about me. Please do not pray for me.

Please pray for all of you and your families, for our Unification Family, and

for the fulfillment of Heavenly Parents’ will,

and dedicate your wholehearted devotion to this.

To all Blessed Families, I love you.”

Beloved members,

September 22, 2025—that day became a heart-wrenching day in the history of our Family Federation that we will never forget.

On July 10, 291 days after that day, the prosecution is scheduled to announce its sentencing recommendation for True Mother.

Facing this critical moment, we cannot simply speak of vague hopes, nor can we allow ourselves to be overcome by fear or anxiety.

What we need now is to protect True Mother with unwavering faith until the very end, while calmly facing reality.

Above all, the path to helping True Mother lies in accurately understanding the circumstances and legal environment in which the current trial is proceeding, and in uniting our hearts to share the heavy burden that True Mother is bearing alone.

1. Main charges and the defense team’s legal response

Currently, the Special Prosecutor’s Office has indicted True Mother on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act, the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation, incitement to destroy evidence, embezzlement in the course of business, and violations of the Act on Aggravated Punishment for Specific Economic Crimes.

Among these, the central charge—alleged violations of the Political Funds Act concerning former lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong—alleges that former Director-general Yoon Young-ho reported the matter to True Mother in advance, received her approval, and then provided 100 million won in cash to Mr. Kwon Seong-dong, who was a lawmaker belonging to the “People Power Party” at the time.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office asserts that this was an act carried out through a series of conspiracies between “True Mother” and former Director-general Yoon Young-ho and others.

In response, the defense team has consistently argued that the series of actions were based on Yoon Young-ho’s personal judgment and that there were no instructions or approval from “True Mother.”

Furthermore, regarding each of the charges, the defense is examining the evidence and logic presented by the prosecution and challenging their credibility and probative value.

In particular, regarding the “Special Report” document—submitted as key evidence to support the claim that prior reporting to and approval from True Mother had taken place—the defense pointed out contradictions in the document’s date of creation and content, raising reasonable doubt regarding a key premise of the indictment.

The defense team clarified that the date listed in the “Special Report” document as the day of the meeting with Representative Kwon Seong-dong was “January 3, 2023,” not “January 3, 2022,” and explained to the court that the prosecution’s alleged scenario of prior reporting and approval is chronologically implausible.

They also pointed out that although this error in the date could have been fully verified during the investigation, the prosecution failed to reflect this in the proceedings and instead submitted the document in question as key evidence.

In light of this, the defense team expressed to the court the view that a more rigorous assessment is necessary regarding the premises of the indictment and the credibility of the key evidence.

This argument raised a legally significant issue regarding the very foundation of the indictment—namely, the claim that “there was prior reporting to and approval by True Mother.”

In this manner, the defense team pointed out flaws in the key physical evidence presented by the Special Prosecutor’s Office, challenged the credibility of the objective evidence purporting to substantiate True Mother’s instructions, approval, or conspiracy, and explained that many of the Special Prosecutor’s Office’s claims rely solely on the testimony of Yoon Young-ho.

Furthermore, based on relevant legal principles and case law, they argued that True Mother’s criminal liability should not be determined solely on the basis of testimony.

In addition, regarding other charges—such as violation of the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation, incitement to destroy evidence, and embezzlement in the course of business—the defense team is proceeding with the trial by raising various points of contention, focusing on the facts of the case, the credibility of the evidence, and the appropriateness of the application of legal principles.

2. The reality surrounding True Mother’s trial

However, the judicial environment surrounding True Mother’s trial is currently extremely harsh.

In the Yoon Young-ho case, the prosecution sought a four-year prison sentence; the first-instance court found him guilty of the main charges—violations of the Political Funds Act, the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation, and embezzlement—and sentenced him to one year and two months in prison. In the appellate trial, a sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison was handed down.

Furthermore, in the case of former lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, the court found him guilty of violating the Political Funds Act regarding the 100 million won he received from the Family Federation and sentenced him to 2 years in prison and a 100 million won forfeiture in the first trial. This ruling was upheld in the appellate trial.

In the recent case involving Mr. Kim Keon-hee, the appellate court also found facts to a broader extent than the trial court.

Regarding the Chanel bags, which had been found to be relevant only in part at the trial court, the appellate court determined that both items were provided as bribes for mediation.

Furthermore, regarding the Graff necklace, the court ruled that it was handed over through Geonjin Monk and found him guilty of bribery for mediation.

The court determined that these gifts were part of a series of acts made with the intention of seeking favors regarding pending issues facing the Family Federation.

Thus, while the current accumulation of factual findings and guilty verdicts in related cases may not directly pertain to this case, it demonstrates that the current trial is by no means proceeding under favorable conditions.

Given this situation, the prosecution may seek a severe sentence for True Mother at the closing arguments on July 10.

However, the prosecution’s sentencing recommendation is, after all, merely the prosecution’s opinion.

While the prosecution makes its recommendation based on the position that True Mother is guilty of all charges, the content of that recommendation does not automatically become the verdict. The court is the one that makes the final decision.

In South Korean criminal trials, a case can proceed through the first instance, followed by an appeal and a final appeal.

We pray wholeheartedly for the best possible outcome in the first instance, and we will spare no legal effort to restore True Mother’s honor and reveal the truth until the very end.

We also earnestly ask all members to join forces in these efforts without the slightest wavering.

3. Lessons we must deeply engrave in our hearts

Dear Beloved Members,

Faced with the unprecedented situation of True Mother’s detention, our community was struck by great shock and confusion.

The reality that our revered True Mother had to be placed in the harshest place on earth was utterly unbearable for us as members.

It was only natural to feel shock, sorrow, and anger.

However, isn’t it precisely at such times that Heavenly Parents hoped we would engrave the teachings of True Parents in our hearts, unite as one, and overcome this difficulty together?

Unfortunately, I believe that our initial response to this situation was not one of fully living up to those expectations.

Within the community, various opinions and claims erupted all at once, and unverified information spread rapidly.

Furthermore, the disorderly dissemination of differing opinions to the outside world destabilized the order of the community.

This situation also hindered the organized legal response on behalf of True Mother.

Some media outlets repeatedly highlighted the internal conflicts and confusion within the community, reporting them in a sensationalist manner. Moreover, the Special Prosecutor’s Office, using these media reports as a tailwind, conducted an even more vigorous investigation.

Even as we poured all our energy into defending and protecting True Mother—and it still wasn’t enough—the community had to deal not only with external attacks but also with internal confusion and conflict.

The confusion and mistakes of that time continued to have a negative impact even as the investigation and trial progressed, and their effects are still felt today.

Looking back on that time when we were unable to unite and were in disarray, we can only feel profound remorse toward True Mother and offer her our deepest apologies.

If we had been able to unite as a more mature community to protect her, might we have been able to lighten, even slightly, the heavy burden she now bears alone? The thought of this breaks our hearts.

No matter how critical the situation, efforts to protect True Mother must be carried out in an organized and systematic manner.

The sincere hearts of all members who wish to protect True Mother are all precious.

However, the more critical the situation, the more those feelings must be united under the community’s order and a single direction in order to exert greater power.

Through this incident, we have once again deeply realized that even good intentions only hold true meaning when they are aligned with the direction of our community.

4. Our Stance

Dear respected members,

No matter what sentence the prosecution seeks, and no matter the outcome of the trial, we must never waver.

What True Mother desires is not for our community to blame one another and become divided, but for us to become more united than ever before and to stand by True Mother’s side until the very end.

At this very moment, our way of life and the image of our community are on display before a grand courtroom watched over by Korean society and the world.

It is not only True Mother who is being judged in that courtroom.

The faith and way of life of each and every one of us who profess to serve and follow True Mother are also being put to the test.

If our community can demonstrate through our way of life what true love is and what it means to be united as children of Heavenly Parents, that will be the most powerful proof of True Mother’s truth and innocence.

Through our example, people in the world will discover within us the noble Will that True Parents have taught throughout their lives.

True Mother said, “Even if it takes time, the truth will surely come to light.”

As True Mother’s words suggest, the path ahead of us is one that will take time and is by no means easy.

However, if we continue to walk together in unity until the very end, the truth will eventually come to light, and True Mother will surely be liberated and released.

Now, more than ever, we earnestly ask that you center on the will of Heavenly Parents, and as one family of brothers and sisters under Heavenly Parents, unite your hearts and offer your sincere devotion for True Mother’s liberation and release.

We, too, will walk this path to the very end alongside all members, with even greater humility.

We believe that this is the most important thing we can do to guide True Mother onto the path to liberation and release, and that it will become the most precious legacy of faith to pass on to our children and future generations.

We pray that the grace and love of Heavenly Parents will be with all members and their families. Thank you.

True Family Four-Position Foundation: Moon Hyo-jin and Moon Heung-jin Family

Director of the World Mission Headquarters: Du Seung-young

Director of the Future Talent Development Institute: Do Hyeon-seop

Secretary-General of the Central Administration Office: Kim Jae-hyeon

Director of Cheon Shim Won: Lee Gi-seong

President of the Divine Korea Association: Song Yong-cheon