Will a “suspended sentence” be handed down to Pres. Han? (2026-08-31)

[최종근]

Will Woo In-seong court hand down a “suspended sentence” to President Han? — Possibility of an overturn on appeal may be considered? (2026-08-31)

At 2:00 p.m. today, the 31st, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Woo In-seong) is scheduled to hand down its verdict on President Han Hak-ja and Jeong Won-ju.

Since yesterday, the media has been paying close attention to President Han’s verdict. This shows just how much this ruling has captured the nation’s attention, and it is likely that the Woo In-seong court struggled considerably in reaching its decision.

▶ JTBC Article

https://news.jtbc.co.kr/article/NB12315781?influxDiv=NAVER  (2026-08-30)

"내가 왜?" 부인했지만 줄줄이 유죄…한학자 1심은 과연

▶ YTN Article

https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0103_202608301846211512  (2026-08-30)

'정교 유착' 한학자 내일 1심 선고...징역 13년 구형

◆ Unification Church holds “special prayer service” ahead of verdict — live streamed on YouTube and Zoom starting at 10:00 a.m.

The Unification Church leadership announced that it will broadcast the special prayer service live via YouTube and Zoom from 10:00 a.m. today until 3:00 p.m., when the verdict is handed down. This appears to be an effort to formulate strategies on how to manage the church members and control the situation following the verdict against President Han and Jeong Won-ju.

◆ Even “suspended sentence prediction” emerges—Is the Unification Church mobilizing massive funds?

Ahead of President Han’s sentencing, rumors had been circulating that the Unification Church had mobilized an astronomical amount of funds to lobby for President Han and Jeong Won-ju to receive suspended sentences. Regardless of whether this is true, if the Unification Church leadership was indeed working on President Han’s behalf even at the cost of substantial funds, that aspect is worthy of recognition.

However, it is also reported that, for the Unification Church leadership, the current situation—with President Han absent—is actually more convenient. Since they do not want President Han to return after receiving a suspended sentence, they are reportedly hoping, deep down, for a harsher sentence.

◆ Three reasons why a suspended sentence is unlikely even for “less than 3 years in prison”

With the Special Prosecutor seeking a 13-year prison sentence, it is considered unlikely that Woo In-seong court will hand down a suspended sentence with a prison term of “three years or less”—a sentence significantly lower than the prosecution’s request.

1. The ruling regarding the 100 million won payment to Kwon Seong-dong and the solicitation of favor from Kim Keon-hee

The reason is that the verdicts against Yoon Young-ho and Representative Kwon Seong-dong have already been finalized by the Supreme Court, and since Woo In-seong court itself handed down the first-instance verdict in the Yoon Young-ho case on January 28, 2026, it would be difficult to overturn that ruling.

2. Will the indictment on embezzlement charges also be dismissed?

In the first-instance ruling on the Yoon Young-ho case, the Woo In-sung court dismissed the indictment regarding the charge of destroying evidence related to the casino, ruling that it fell outside the scope of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation.

Similarly, in the ruling on President Han, it is possible that the court will dismiss the indictments for both the destruction of evidence and embezzlement charges, based on the determination that they fall outside the scope of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation.

3. A cautious ruling with the appeal in mind

It appears that the Woo In-seong court feels the weight of the fact that, in its first-instance ruling on the Yoon Young-ho case, it acquitted Yoon regarding the Chanel bag given to Kim Keon-hee while Yoon Suk-yeol was the president-elect, only to have that acquittal overturned on appeal.

Given these circumstances, even if the court were to find her guilty only of violations of the Political Funds Act and the Prohibition of Solicitation of Favor Act—taking President Han’s position into account—and dismiss the charges on the remaining counts, it is highly likely that the verdict would be overturned on appeal.

◆ Indicted on additional charges of embezzling 10.5 billion won—the most devastating blow to President Han

Furthermore, on August 28, 2026, the Joint Investigation Headquarters indicted President Han Hak-ja, Jeong Won-ju, Yoon Young-ho, and Lee Cheong-woo on charges of embezzling 10.5 billion won while they remained free on bail. This indictment could prove to be the most devastating blow to President Han.

▶ News1

https://www.news1.kr/society/court-prosecution/6272982  (2026-08-28)

한학자 통일교 총재, 100억대 교단 자금 횡령 혐의 기소

This is because embezzlement of 5 billion won or more constitutes a violation of the “Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes” (embezzlement), for which the statutory penalty is life imprisonment or imprisonment for five years or more.

◆ Even a “sentence of up to three years” offers no relief—President Han’s trial continues

It is expected that the case in which the Joint Investigation Headquarters indicted President Han on embezzlement charges without detention will also be handled by Woo In-seong court. Therefore, even if a sentence of up to three years in prison is handed down this time, it is unlikely that the suspended sentence will be given. This is because another trial will proceed in parallel.

If President Han receives a sentence of three years or less in prison, it is possible that Jeong Won-ju will also receive a sentence of three years or less. However, if the nature of the crime is deemed particularly egregious, the possibility of her detention cannot be ruled out.

Regardless of the verdicts handed down to President Han and Jeong Won-ju, it is expected that a fierce power struggle will unfold among the Unification Church’s leadership in the future, and as a result, internal issues within the church will continue to be leaked to the outside world.

2026-08-31

Choi Jong-keun

[Unification Church Anti-Corruption Monitoring Committee]

[Related Posts]

■ Unification Church: “Legal Briefing Part 9” — Indictment dismissed for embezzlement of funds from affiliated organizations — Special Prosecutor did not investigate legitimate funds (2026-08-30)

https://cafe.daum.net/antiuccorruption/ZXsd/1601?svc=cafeapi

■ Joint Investigation Headquarters indicts Han Hak-ja, Jeong Won-ju, Yoon Young-ho, and Lee Cheong-woo on “suspicions of embezzling 10.5 billion won” — related to “28 billion won in the safe in Cheon Jeong Gung’s private room” (2026-08-28)

https://cafe.daum.net/antiuccorruption/as2X/795?svc=cafeapi

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