Unification Church scandal expands to ruling party, fueling turmoil

Unification Church members stage a rally in front of church headquarters in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, July 18, after a special counsel team conducted search and seizures at church facilities over corruption allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yonhap

The alleged illegal ties between a religious group and political circles are expanding from the main opposition party to the ruling one, with several figures under suspicion of receiving money from the group.

President Lee Jae Myung ordered authorities to pursue the allegations strictly, regardless of political affiliation or rank.

Until recently, attention had been largely centered on the Unification Church’s alleged bribes to former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee, as well as some figures in the then-ruling People Power Party (PPP).

However, new reports have emerged that the church also sought to forge broad connections with the current ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), potentially triggering even broader political fallout.

Yun Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church’s global headquarters, reportedly told a special counsel team of investigators that the church delivered then-DPK lawmaker and current Oceans and Fisheries Minister Chun Jae-soo with 40 million won ($27,190) in cash in a box, along with two luxury watches, between 2018 and 2020.

He also claimed that Chun met with church leader Han Hak-ja and that the watches were Cartier and Bulgari.

Yun made the claims in August during questioning regarding corruption allegations concerning the former first lady. Yun had been arrested on charges of offering luxury bags and jewelry to Kim.

Chun denied the claims in a Facebook post on Tuesday, asserting that he had never received money or gifts and called the accusations completely untrue. He warned he would pursue all possible legal measures against what he described as malicious distortions.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Chun Jae-soo speaks during a ministers’ meeting at Government Complex Seoul, Dec. 2. Yonhap

Yun also made the DPK-related claims during a hearing on Friday, accusing the special counsel team of conducting a biased investigation focused only on the church’s links to the PPP.

He testified that between 2017 and 2021 — when former President Moon Jae-in was in office — the church was closer to the DPK than to the PPP, and had approached four figures who are now serving as ministers ahead of a church event, the Korea Peace Summit, in February 2022. Two of them visited with the church leader, Yun said.

Testimony from within the Unification Church also suggests that cash and other benefits were provided to DPK officials — such as buying books at publication events — while some party members reportedly maintained close contact through activities in party-linked organizations.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

As the allegations have emerged, the DPK has remained cautious, concerned about how the potential fallout may affect the party.

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the allegations.

"Lee instructed a strict investigation into the alleged illegal links between a specific religious group and politicians, regardless of whether they are from the opposition or ruling parties and regardless of their ranks in the parties or the government," the presidential office said in a message sent to reporters.

The president also said at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that even religious organizations should be disbanded if they engage in conduct that violates the Constitution or the law.

This followed a remark on Dec. 2, when he asked the legislation minister to review whether, in cases where religious foundations have systematically intervened in politics in violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, dissolution could be considered. He noted that Japan has issued such orders in a similar case.

The PPP sharply criticized Lee by pointing to the Unification Church’s alleged contacts with figures in the DPK.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk seized on Lee’s comments about dissolving religious groups, arguing that if a religious organization should be disbanded for unconstitutional or illegal acts, then the ruling party itself, if it accepted such money from the church, ought to be dissolved.

Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon also criticized the remarks, calling them a “crude attempt” to threaten dissolution if the Unification Church reveals that money was offered to the DPK.