Joint Investigation Headquarters Raids 12 Shincheonji Tribes on Allegations of Tax Evasion and Embezzlement
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The Joint Investigation Headquarters for Corruption and Collusion, which is investigating allegations of collusion between the Unification Church and Shincheonji, launched a compulsory investigation into Shincheonji on March 26 over suspicions of tax evasion and embezzlement.
On this day, the Joint Investigation Headquarters dispatched prosecutors and investigators to the Shincheonji headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, the Gwacheon Church of the John Tribe, and about 10 churches affiliated with the 12 tribes nationwide, to secure tax-related documents including corporate tax payment records. It is known that the search and seizure warrant specified charges against Chairman Lee Man-hee under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, including tax evasion and embezzlement in the course of work.
Previously, in December 2020, the tax authorities imposed 12.2 billion won in corporate tax and value-added tax on Shincheonji for the business years from 2012 to 2019. Shincheonji is suspected of evading taxes by disguising the names of stores operated by its branch churches as individual businesses and keeping double books, among other methods.
The authorities also reported Chairman Lee to the prosecution for tax evasion and related charges. However, in October 2021, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office decided not to indict Chairman Lee and others involved in the case.
However, the court dismissed Shincheonji’s lawsuit seeking to cancel the tax assessment by the tax authorities, and this ruling was finalized by the Supreme Court last month.
Since then, the Joint Investigation Headquarters has reopened the tax evasion case that was previously dismissed by the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office and transferred the case, leading to the search and seizure conducted on this day.
Separately from the tax evasion allegations, the Joint Investigation Headquarters is also investigating Chairman Lee and former general secretary Ko Dong-an, as well as other Shincheonji officials, for alleged embezzlement of corporate funds.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and Chairman Lee Man-hee was investigated for allegedly obstructing quarantine efforts, Shincheonji raised legal funds from the 12 tribes. There are also suspicions that former general secretary Ko collected hundreds of millions of won in cash, using 50,000-won bills, from each tribe.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters suspects that the cash collected from the 12 tribes at that time flowed into political lobbying funds and similar channels.
Content retrieved from: https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026032615522582218.
