Ex-oceans minister appears for questioning over alleged bribes from Unification Church

Former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo appears at the Seodaemun Ward police station in Seoul, Friday, to undergo questioning over allegations he took bribes from the Unification Church. Joint Press Corps

Former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo appeared before police Friday to undergo questioning over allegations he took bribes from the Unification Church.

Chun arrived at Seoul's Seodaemun Ward police station after being summoned as a suspect in a case dating back to 2018 when he is accused of receiving 20 million won ($13,560) in cash and a Bulgari watch worth 10 million won from the church.

At the time, Chun was a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and he remains a lawmaker though he resigned as oceans minister last week following a former church official's disclosure of the allegations.

"I state clearly that there was no illegal acceptance of money and goods from the Unification Church whatsoever," he told reporters outside the police station.

According to the former church official, Yun Young-ho, the money and watch were given in exchange for Chun's help in pushing church projects, including the potential construction of an undersea tunnel connecting Korea and Japan.

"The Korea-Japan undersea tunnel was designed so that if Japan made 100 in profits, Busan would make nothing but losses," Chun said, referring to the southeastern port city that includes his constituency. "Opposing that was my political conviction."

Police are expected to interrogate him about the cash and watch based on indications he attended an undersea tunnel-related event in 2018 and exchanged communications with a church-founded forum as recently as October.

In addition to the alleged bribe-taking, police are looking into an incident where a church-affiliated organization purchased 500 copies of Chun's book in 2019 for a total of 10 million won.

Asked by reporters if he has ever met Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, Chun did not answer.

As part of the probe, investigators have raided his residence in Busan, the office he used as oceans minister in Sejong, his office at the National Assembly and Han's residence in Gapyeong, east of Seoul.

Chun is the first of three current and former politicians booked in the bribery case to be summoned by the police. The two other suspects are former DPK lawmaker Lim Jong-seong and former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan.