Special counsel refers case on alleged Unification Church-DPK ties to police

Special prosecutor Min Joong-ki speaks at his office in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, in July. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin

A special counsel team said Tuesday it has transferred to police a case involving allegations that the Unification Church supported Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) politicians ahead of the 2022 presidential election, amid criticism that it was conducting a politically biased investigation.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said in a press notice that it had referred the preliminary probe to the National Office of Investigation under the National Police Agency.

The team has faced criticism from opposition lawmakers for concentrating its inquiry on alleged illegal political funds linked to People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers, despite testimony from a former Unification Church official suggesting that DPK lawmakers had also received support.

Yun Young-ho, the former head of the church's global headquarters, reportedly told the team he had given tens of millions of won to two DPK lawmakers from 2018 to 2020 and claimed the church supported 15 DPK politicians through political donations, book purchases and other means.

The testimony sparked criticisms that Min's team may have conducted a biased investigation focused solely on the PPP, as allegations involving the now-ruling DPK emerged only through the former official's testimony.

The special counsel team, which acknowledged Yun made such claims, said on the previous day the case does not fall within the scope of its investigation.

The team is tasked with probing corruption allegations surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and is mandated to remain politically neutral under the special counsel law.

The transfer of the case to police was seen as an attempt to address concerns of selective investigation and ensure that all related allegations are reviewed.

Considering the statute of limitations for violations of the Political Funds Act is seven years, the case involving payments made in 2018 is set to expire at the end of this year.