Unification Church Leaders Indicted for 188 Million Won Illegal Donations

The Joint Investigation Headquarters for Religious and Political Collusion (headed by Kim Tae-hoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Daejeon High Prosecutors’ Office) announced on the 11th that it had indicted without detention Yun Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church’s world headquarters, Song Gwang-seok, former president of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), and Lee Mo, former president of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), among three individuals, on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and embezzlement in the course of business. The investigation was concluded without indictment for Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, and Jeong Won-ju, former chief of staff, due to insufficient evidence.

Yun and the others are accused of illegally donating approximately 188 million Korean won from the religious group’s funds to 132 politicians, including lawmakers, in 218 instances between September 2019 and January of last year. The investigation found that the Unification Church organized politicians’ participation in its events and provided political funds under the names of its affiliates to expand its religious influence.

The headquarters also summarily indicted six individuals, including regional directors under the Unification Church, for their partial involvement in the crimes, citing violations of the Political Funds Act and embezzlement. However, regarding Han and Jeong, it stated, “There is insufficient evidence that they were directly involved in the crimes,” and decided not to indict them. The 132 politicians who received the funds were also excluded from indictment, as the headquarters determined they were unaware that the donations were sent by the Unification Church for specific purposes.

The headquarters is also investigating allegations that some Shincheonji followers in the capital region joined the Democratic Party of Korea ahead of the June 3 local elections. It suspects that to resolve local opposition to changing building usages for religious facilities, the group systematically organized its regional followers to join the Democratic Party before the elections.