Special counsel raids unification church institutions over people power party membership allegations
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The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki, investigating various allegations involving Kim Keon-hee, was reported on the 11th to be conducting search and seizure operations at Unification Church-affiliated institutions in connection with suspicions of Unification Church members joining the People Power Party.
According to legal circles, the special counsel team dispatched investigators to the Unification Church’s Seoul headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and offices of the Heavenly Parent’s Family Alliance (UPF) in various regions starting at 9 a.m. on the 11th. The search and seizure warrants reportedly cited charges including violations of the Political Funds Act. The Heavenly Parent’s Family Alliance has faced allegations of distributing party membership applications to church members ahead of the People Power Party’s national convention in March 2023.
In response to these revelations, the Unification Church stated, “It is difficult to accept as normal the situation where large-scale search and seizure operations are conducted twice and publicized, even though the church has not refused to cooperate with the investigation.”
Earlier, the special counsel team arrested and indicted Yoon Young-ho, former global headquarters head, and Jeon Seong-bae, a Geonjin Beopsa, who were allegedly involved in the suspicions. The team suspects the two collectively attempted to enroll Unification Church members in the People Power Party to secure the election of Rep. Kweon Seong-dong during the party’s national convention. Rep. Kweon has also been implicated in allegations of receiving 100 million Korean won in illegal political funds from the Unification Church. However, the Unification Church maintains, “There is no fact that the church provided illegal support to a specific political party or individual at the organizational level.”
Recently, the special counsel team attempted to conduct a search and seizure at the People Power Party’s headquarters to verify membership lists between December 2021 and April of last year but was unable to proceed due to opposition from the party.
Content retrieved from: https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/09/11/SG32VQJTLBDFROHO7E7XBWSCSM/.
