South Korea bribery probe targets Unification Church’s ‘business-religion complex’
Published By admin
South Korea’s Unification Church has forcefully rejected allegations that its leader, Han Hak-ja, bribed the wife of former president Yoon Suk-yeol, even as prosecutors expand a corruption investigation that threatens to expose decades of the church’s political entanglements.
In a rare video address released on Sunday, Han – the widow of church founder Sun Myung-moon – denied direct involvement in any irregularities.
“False information is being spread that, under my instructions, our church provided illegal political funds,” she said. “I have never ordered any unlawful political solicitations or monetary transactions.”
Han’s statement comes amid a special investigation into Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon-hee. Prosecutors allege the church offered Kim luxury gifts and provided campaign funds for Yoon’s 2022 presidential bid in exchange for political favours.
For scholars of Korean religion and politics, the allegations have not come as a surprise. Professor Tark Ji-il of Busan Presbyterian University said the Unification Church had a long record of “courting politicians” with promises of votes and cash as part of its “business-religion complex”.
“It’s in their DNA to seek political and economic clout endlessly,” Tark told This Week in Asia.
Founded in the 1950s, the church – formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – has built a sprawling global empire that includes media companies such as The Washington Times and the UPI news agency, as well as food businesses, manufacturers and hotels.
On its website, the movement urges followers to “transcend race and religion” and rebuild families “as the vessel of true, lasting love”.
The church claims some 10 million adherents in nearly 200 countries, though critics say these numbers are vastly inflated. Its strongest following is in Japan, where it has faced growing backlash since the 2022 assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe’s killer told police that his family was ruined by his mother’s donations to the church, igniting a political crisis over its ties to Japanese conservatives. In March, a court ordered the Japanese branch of the organisation to disband, citing exploitative fundraising.
In Seoul, investigators allege the church funnelled bribes and campaign support directly to Yoon’s inner circle. Leaked indictments claim Yoon Young-ho, the church’s former second-in-command, met ruling party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong in January 2022 to deliver 100 million won (US$84,000) in illicit campaign funds.
Weeks later, Kwon is said to have visited the church’s headquarters, where Han allegedly assured him of its support for Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidential run. Shortly afterwards, church officials arranged a meeting between Yoon and former US vice-president Mike Pence at a conservative political event, according to court documents.
Prosecutors also allege that after Yoon’s victory in the 2022 election, the church showered Kim Keon-hee with luxury gifts – including a Graf necklace worth 62 million won, Chanel handbags and ginseng products – delivered through a fortune-teller who was close to her. Kim has denied receiving the items, while the intermediary later claimed he lost them during a move.
The indictment further states that before the ruling party’s leadership election in 2023, Kim asked the church to enlist members en masse in support of Yoon’s preferred candidate.
Han’s denial of any involvement directly contradicts testimony from Yoon Young-ho, who told JTBC television before his arrest that he had submitted 5,000 pages of daily reports to her. The church has dismissed his statements as a “personal deviation” and accused his wife of siphoning off church funds under false pretences.
Since its founder’s death in 2012, bitter infighting among his heirs has dogged the Unification Church, even as it continues to court politicians in the United States, Japan and elsewhere. In South Korea, however, its reputation as a cult has hindered growth.
Content retrieved from: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323992/south-korea-bribery-probe-targets-unification-churchs-business-religion-complex.
