Unification Church in Japan to Pay 19.7 Billion Won to Victims of Large Donations… “Includes South Korean Residents”
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The “Family Federation Victims’ Legal Team,” which has been supporting individuals harmed by large donations and other practices of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church, hereinafter referred to as the “Family Federation”) in Japan, announced on November 14 that, as a result of civil mediation, the organization has agreed to pay approximately 2.1 billion yen (about 19.7 billion won) in damages to 132 claimants. Among the victims are residents of South Korea.
According to Kyodo News, this civil mediation case is the third such instance following the first agreement reached with the organization in early October, in which a total of 50 million yen (about 480 million won) was paid to three individuals. With this latest case, the total scale of civil mediation agreements has reached 174 people and 3.4 billion yen (about 32 billion won) over three rounds.
Attorney Susumu Murakoshi, a member of the legal team, commented on the organization’s change in attitude-having previously refused civil mediation-by saying, “Now that the dissolution order feels more realistic, they may be seeking a way to prolong their existence,” and added, “The number of victims who have actually resolved their issues remains extremely small.”
The legal team, which has been supporting victims, was established in 2022 to assist those affected by the Family Federation’s past “spiritual sales” marketing practices. The group has demanded collective negotiations for damages against the organization and has also filed for civil mediation in court. “Spiritual sales” is a Japanese term combining “spiritual” (referring to a sense or feeling) and “sales” (referring to commercial practices), and describes the act of pseudo-religious groups inciting anxiety among followers to induce them to purchase expensive goods or services.
Meanwhile, on March 25, the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order against the Family Federation. As a result of this decision, the Family Federation lost its legal status as a religious corporation and became ineligible for tax exemptions and other related benefits. There is also a possibility that the organization will have to liquidate its assets.
The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology cited the forced solicitation and collection of donations as grounds for the dissolution order. While there have been cases in the past where extremist groups such as Aum Shinrikyo were ordered to dissolve, it is highly unusual for a religious organization to receive a dissolution order based solely on civil law violations rather than criminal offenses. In response, the Family Federation strongly protested the court’s decision, calling it an “infringement of religious freedom,” and appealed to a higher court.
Content retrieved from: https://cm.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2025111515334120004.
