• Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, faces arrest for bribery linked to former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
• Accusations include gifting luxury items to Kim for political favors.
• The arrest warrant was issued due to concerns over evidence tampering.
• Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is also implicated in ongoing corruption investigations.
• The church has promised to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Han Hak-ja, the leader of South Korea’s Unification Church, was arrested amid allegations of bribing the former First Lady, Kim Keon Hee, with luxury gifts, including designer bags and a diamond necklace. Authorities claim that these gifts were intended to garner favors from Kim for the church's business interests, escalating the scrutiny surrounding the church as allegations of corruption mount against prominent political figures, including the ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose wife Kim is now facing trial for similar charges, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for Han, citing concerns that she poses a risk of tampering with evidence, which has prompted a broader investigation involving the church’s potential influence in South Korean politics. Han has denied wrongdoing, asserting that these allegations are “false information,” according to BBC and Al Jazeera.

The Unification Church, founded in the 1950s by Han's late husband Sun Myung Moon, has long faced controversy and criticism for its practices, including alleged coercive fundraising methods. The church has stated its intention to “faithfully cooperate” with authorities during the ongoing investigation aimed at restoring trust in the organization, as reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The former first lady, Kim, is facing serious legal challenges, having been indicted on multiple counts of corruption, including bribery and stock market manipulation. Her indictment exemplifies the serious implications of the ongoing inquiry into the political elites of South Korea, drawing attention to the entwined fates of the church leaders and politicians, according to BBC and Reuters.