The church church of `Moonies ” arrested for gifts to the former Lady of South Korea

South Korea has arrested the controversial unification church for allegations that the organization welded the former first lady in South Korea in exchange for trade and political favors.

The church of Han Hak-Ja is accused of having given Kim Keon Hee, the wife of the President ousted Yoon Suk Yeol, two Chanel bags and a diamond collar, worth 80 million Wons ($ 57,900; £ 42,500).

Han, the 82 -year -old widow of the founder of Sun Myung Moon church, has repeatedly denied allegations, calling them “false”.

The church said on Tuesday that it “would be faithfully engaged” with the authorities and “would (it is better to use it as an opportunity to restore confidence in our church”.

He also apologized for having “aroused concern for the people”.

The prosecutors had asked for an arrest warrant against Han for four accusations, including poor solicitation and a transplant, and a professional diversion.

Han on Monday rejected the accusations, insisting that she is not interested or in politics. His lawyers argued against arrest, citing his age and aggravating health.

Han is also accused of ending with a former church official, nicknamed Yun, of offering 100 million won in bribes to the conservative legislator Kweon Seong-Dong before the presidential election in 2022, in exchange for favors for the church in the event of an election of Yoon-what he did.

Kweon, formerly considered a close confident of Yoon, was arrested last Wednesday. He denies accepting bribes.

The Unification Church had pinned the blame for the two series of allegations – involving Kim and Kweon – on the former church official, saying that he had acted alone by offering these gifts. The official has since been arrested.

Kim, the former First Lady, was charged last month for various accusations, including corruption and manipulation of actions, which she denies. His trial began this week.

His arrest marked the first time that a former president and former first lady was imprisoned in South Korea.

Yoon was detained in January and faces a separate trial on a martial law offering last year which plunged the country into chaos and led to its dismissal.

The Unification Church, officially known as the Federation of the Family for Peace and World Unification, was founded in South Korea in the 1950s by Moon Sun-Myung, who proclaimed the Messiah.

The church is best known to have mass marriages involving thousands of couples, some of which have only been twinned recently by the church.

Critics described the group as “as cult”. The lawyers accused him of constraining the faithful, known familiarly under the name of “Moonies” after its founder, to give large sums of money.

The Unification Church had been submitted to Japan after the assassination of the former head of the country Shinzo Abe. The alleged assassin blamed the group for failing his family and held a grievance against Abe for having allegedly promoted to him.

The group is prohibited in certain parts of the world, including Singapore. In Japan, it was ordered to dissolve.