Han Hakja's Side Reiterates 'Heart Procedure Issues'
Special Prosecutor: "Unilateral Non-Attendance Right Before Each Investigation"
Han Hakja, President of the Unification Church, has once again stated that she cannot comply with repeated summons requests from Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team.
On the 14th, the special prosecutor's team announced to the media, "President Han, who was scheduled to appear for questioning tomorrow, has submitted a written statement through her attorney indicating that she will not attend due to health reasons." It is understood that the statement submitted by her legal team explained that President Han's health has not fully recovered, making an in-person investigation difficult.
As a result, President Han has now failed to comply with the special prosecutor's summons on three consecutive occasions.
The special prosecutor's team first requested on the 1st that President Han appear on the 8th, but she did not attend, citing health issues after being hospitalized at Asan Medical Center in Seoul for a heart-related procedure. The team then reissued the summons for the 11th, but Han's side again declined, stating that her oxygen saturation levels were below the normal range and her condition was not good.
Han's side stated, "She will cooperate with the investigation as soon as her health improves," adding, "We are faithfully cooperating with the special prosecutor's procedures."
The special prosecutor's team is expected to consider requesting an arrest warrant if, after verifying the validity of Han's claims, they determine there are no special circumstances preventing her from being questioned. The team stated, "Since President Han's side has repeatedly expressed unilateral intentions not to attend right before the scheduled investigation dates, we have treated this as three instances of non-compliance with the summons and are currently reviewing further measures."
According to the Criminal Procedure Act, prosecutors or judicial police officers may require a suspect to appear for questioning if necessary for an investigation. Furthermore, if there is sufficient reason to suspect the person has committed a crime and they fail to comply with a summons without justifiable reason or are likely not to comply, an arrest warrant may be issued and the suspect may be detained.
President Han is accused of conspiring with Yoon, the former global head of the Unification Church, to deliver 100 million won to Kweon Seongdong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, in January 2022, requesting support for the Unification Church from the Yoon Sukyeol administration. She is also accused of being involved, through Jeon Seongbae (known as "Geonjin Bopsa"), in delivering an expensive necklace and a Chanel bag to First Lady Kim Keonhee between April and July of the same year, seeking favors for church-related matters.
The indictments of Yoon, Jeon, and Mrs. Kim, who were first brought to trial, state that President Han approached former President Yoon Sukyeol and his wife to realize her goal of "unity of church and state." Yoon's indictment also states that President Han approved Yoon's requests and the delivery of money and valuables. However, President Han and the Unification Church have maintained that the requests and provision of valuables were solely Yoon's personal actions and that there was no involvement at the organizational level.
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