Rival parties clash as Unification Church scandal engulfs liberals
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South Korea’s rival parties are clashing head on over whether to launch a special counsel investigation into more bribery allegations involving the Unification Church, as the controversy expands to include senior government and ruling bloc figures.
The main opposition People Power Party on Sunday urged President Lee Jae Myung and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to accept an opposition-recommended special prosecutor, arguing that the case has grown beyond isolated misconduct and now constitutes a full-fledged political scandal.
“Investigations that stop in the face of power and justice that operates selectively can no longer be countenanced,” People Power Party Floor Leader Rep. Song Eon-seok said Sunday.
“(The party) officially propose introducing a special counsel on the Unification Church in order to uphold judicial justice.”
Referring to an assortment of allegations collectively as the “Unification Church-Democratic Party scandal,” People Power Party spokesperson Rep. Choi Bo-yun joined the attack, saying that ruling bloc figures named in related allegations have close political ties to President Lee.
Ruling party and government figures named in connection to the allegations include former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok and former Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jong-seong.
The People Power Party has accused the special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki of conducting a selective investigation, claiming it failed for months to pursue testimony from a former senior Unification Church official regarding alleged payments to Democratic Party figures while using the same testimony as a key basis for investigating opposition lawmakers. Min headed the investigation into former first lady Kim Keon Hee, which led to suspicions that the church bribed figures on both sides of the aisle.
“This case must reveal not only who was involved, but also who covered it up,” Choi said, calling for the immediate suspension of officials implicated in the allegations and the acceptance of an opposition-backed special counsel.
The Democratic Party, later in the day, rejected the demand, insisting a police investigation already underway should be allowed to proceed, while accusing the opposition of exploiting the issue for political gain.
The party’s chief spokesperson Rep. Park Soo-hyun told reporters at the National Assembly that the party expects “the truth to be transparently revealed through a prompt and rigorous investigation,” adding that if wrongdoing by Democratic Party figures is uncovered, “decisive and uncompromising action will be taken regardless of rank or position.”
However, Park dismissed calls for a special prosecutor at this stage as “political maneuvering,” arguing that demands for a special counsel before investigative results emerge amounts to inflating the issue for partisan purposes.
The clash comes as the Unification Church scandal widens, with allegations initially focused on conservative politicians now extending into the ruling camp. Chun Jae-soo became the first Cabinet member to step down under the Lee administration after offering his resignation last week over allegations he received tens of millions of won and luxury watches from the church while serving as a lawmaker. The president accepted his resignation within hours.
Former Unification Church global headquarters chief Yun Young-ho has said that the church provided money and gifts to multiple Democratic Party-affiliated figures during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, further fueling political fallout.
Police formed a special task force to investigate the case, but disagreement over whether a special counsel is necessary has become a new flash point, deepening partisan divides.
The issue is also reshaping opposition dynamics. The People Power Party and minor Reform Party are moving toward jointly proposing a special counsel bill, raising speculation about broader cooperation ahead of next June’s local elections, though both parties have denied discussions of a formal electoral alliance. The launch of a special probe would require a majority vote at the National Assembly, where 166 out of 298 seats are held by ruling Democratic Party members.
As the controversy continues to expand, observers say the issue of whether to introduce a special prosecutor is likely to remain at the center of political confrontation, with both sides framing the probe as a test of fairness, accountability and the rule of law.
Content retrieved from: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10636064.
