The death of Rev. Moon Sun-myung, the founder of the Unification Church, on Monday has led to speculation on the future of the church and its business arm without him.
The church has recently been stirred by sibling rivalry among Moon's heirs, which makes its future uncertain even though Moon handed control of operations to two of his sons, knowing his time was running out.
After Moon's first and second sons died, the third and oldest living son, Hyun-jin, was thought to be the de facto successor.
However, he reportedly showed differences in his view of his father's "messiah" theory.
The church's business arm, the Tongil Group, is currently chaired by Moon's fourth son, Kook-jin, while the seventh son, Rev. Moon Hyung-jin, oversees the running of the church.
Hyung-jin was named to be the church's international president in April 2008, as he is the only heir who is a priest in New York, the 33-year-old son studied theology at Harvard University, where he went about campus with a shaved head and in a robe.
While studying at the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions, he met the leader of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the Venerable Bubjang, and pursued an interest in Buddhism, which he studied and practiced in earnest. He is also highly skilled in martial arts, which he has practiced since he was young.
The fourth son, Kook-jin, aged 42, is in charge of the church's business ventures in Korea, which include construction, newspapers, hospitals, schools, tourism, ski resorts, beverages and a professional soccer team.
The alleged rift has led to legal disputes.
Third son Hyun-jin filed a lawsuit against his mother in May of last year seeking 23.8 billion won ($22.3 million) from the company coffers allegedly sent to the church's missionary foundation led by his mother, without his permission. The court ruled the money was a loan but ordered it be returned.
The foundation then sued the father-in-law of the son on breach-of-duty charges later that year.
Despite the family strife, many expect few changes in the absence of the founder.
"There will be no big strike since Rev. Moon Hyung-jin, the youngest son, has been working as the church's international president," a church official told Yonhap News Agency. (Yonhap)