Ex-official of Unification Church claimed it also supported some DPK politicians ahead of 2022 presidential vote
Yun Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church's global headquarters, appears at the Seoul Central District Court, July 30. Yonhap
A former Unification Church official on trial for allegedly funneling church funds to People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers has claimed that the church also gave support to some politicians at the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ahead of the 2022 presidential election, according to legal sources Monday.
Yun Young-ho, the former head of the church's global headquarters, made the testimony last Friday during his trial on embezzlement and other charges after special counsel Min Joong-ki's team indicted him for allegedly providing funds to PPP lawmakers, including Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, in 2022.
Yun's claims have raised suspicions Min's team might have conducted a biased investigation solely focused on the PPP as the allegations related to the now-ruling DPK only became publicized through the former official's testimony at court.
Yun testified that he tried to approach not only PPP but also DPK officials ahead of the presidential election in March 2022.
"(I) had to meet numerous people, not only Kweon Seong-dong," he said. "It wasn't leaning toward one side but (I) approached both sides."
Yun claimed that he was closer to the DPK from 2017 to 2021 and that two of the four people he approached met with Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja.
The former official said he had told Min's team of such details during questioning in August and gave a list of lawmakers.
Yun reportedly told the team he had given tens of millions of won to a current and a former lawmaker during the former Moon Jae-in administration from 2017 to 2022, and reportedly claimed the church supported 15 DPK politicians through political donations, book purchases and other methods.
Min's team has said an investigation over the allegations did not take place as it remained unclear whether the Unification Church provided support to the DPK in an organized way as it did with the PPP.
The team is tasked with investigating corruption allegations surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee — the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol — and mandated to be politically neutral under a special counsel law.
Yun has been accused of delivering luxury gifts to the former first lady in return for business favors.
PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog slammed the special counsel probe in light of Yun's testimony, calling it a "political investigation to oppress the opposition party."
Meanwhile, Baek Seung-ah, spokesperson for the DPK's floor leadership, defended the special counsel, saying her party did not face investigation as it did not receive illegal support as the PPP did.
The Unification Church has yet to comment on Yun's testimony.