The leader of the Unification Church arrived at a court in Seoul on Monday to attend a hearing which will decide whether she is to be arrested on bribery allegations.

Hak Ja Han, the 82-year-old widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, has been facing an investigation in connection with criminal probes of South Korea's former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and his wife.

Investigators requested an arrest warrant for Han following questioning last week over allegations that she and the church had bribed former first lady Kim Keon Hee and a conservative lawmaker in an effort to secure business and political favors.

The lawmaker, Kweon Seong-dong, was arrested last week, while Kim was charged last month.

The former first lady is suspected of accepting luxury gifts through an intermediary from a Unification Church official who allegedly sought various business favors, including the church’s participation in a Cambodian development project.

The official, who has been arrested, is also suspected of providing 100 million won ($72,400) in bribes to Kweon.

Han and the Unification Church have denied the allegations.

The church also criticized the attempt to arrest Han, insisting she poses no flight risk and has cooperated with the investigation.

The Seoul Central District Court was expected to deliver its decision later on Monday.

Han is the top leader of the church, officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which her husband founded in 1954.

A self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative family values, Moon built the Unification Church into an international movement with millions of followers and extensive business interests.

The church is widely known for mass weddings, pairing thousands of couples who often are from different countries.

AP video by Yong Ho Kim