What assets did the Unification Church foundation try to sell during the investigation?

The foundation sought approval to dispose of land and buildings worth about 52 billion won in Seoul and approximately 300 million won in Gapyeong. Both applications were submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and were rejected.

Why did South Korea reject the Unification Church foundation’s asset sale applications?

The ministry said the foundation provided insufficient justification for selling high-value core assets without a specific plan for using the proceeds. The applications were also filed while the foundation and its affiliates were under investigation by a special counsel and police.

What rule changes did Rep. Jin Sun-mee propose for religious foundations under investigation?

Jin urged the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to amend its guidelines so asset disposals by organizations under investigation could be blocked explicitly. She said the current rules identify the approval authority but do not set out specific grounds for rejection.

Unification Church foundation sought to sell $39 mil. in assets during probe: lawmaker

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Summary

The Foundation for the Support of HSA-UWC sought approval to sell land and buildings worth 52.3 billion won in Seoul and Gapyeong while the Unification Church and its affiliates were under corruption investigations linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism rejected both applications because the foundation lacked a specific plan for using the proceeds. Rep. Jin Sun-mee urged the ministry to strengthen rules governing asset disposals by organizations under investigation.

Key Facts

The foundation submitted its first application in December to sell approximately 52 billion won in assets in Seoul.
A second application filed in March concerned assets worth about 300 million won in Gapyeong, east of Seoul.
Nonprofit religious foundations must obtain ministry approval before disposing of core assets such as land and buildings.
The church leadership is standing trial on bribery, election meddling and embezzlement charges.
Jin Sun-mee said existing guidelines specify approval authority but lack clear grounds for rejecting asset disposals.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 7, 2026 10:51 am KST

Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja leaves Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul after being sentenced to two years in prison in a bribery trial, Aug. 31. Joint Press Corps

The Unification Church foundation tried to dispose of assets worth 52.3 billion won ($39 million) while it was under investigation over corruption charges linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The Foundation for the Support of HSA-UWC, run by the Unification Church, filed two applications with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in December and March to dispose of its land and buildings, but both were rejected, Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said, citing reports submitted by the ministry.

By law, nonprofit organizations, such as religious foundations, must obtain approval from the ministry before disposing of their core assets, including land and buildings.

The foundation applied in December to dispose of assets worth about 52 billion won in Seoul. The ministry rejected the request, however, saying there was insufficient justification for selling high-value assets without a specific plan for their use at a time when the foundation and its affiliates were under investigation by a special counsel and police.

It submitted a second application in March to dispose of assets worth about 300 million won in Gapyeong, east of Seoul. That request was rejected on the same grounds.

The church's leadership is now standing trial on bribery, election meddling and embezzlement charges.

Jin urged the ministry to amend its guidelines to block asset disposals by organizations under investigation, saying the current rules outline approval authority but lack specific grounds for rejection.

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