Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has instructed a rigorous investigation into the alleged illicit connections between a religious group and political figures, his office announced on Wednesday. Speculation has been mounting that both ruling and opposition party lawmakers may have received illegal political contributions from the Unification Church.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee emphasized that the investigation should be thorough and impartial, targeting individuals from both ruling and opposition parties, irrespective of their rank. Although President Lee did not explicitly name the Unification Church, the directive follows allegations that Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers received illegal funds from the church, which is also being probed for allegedly supporting People Power Party lawmakers during the 2022 presidential campaign.
President Lee's recent statements underscore his commitment to eliminating entrenched connections between political entities and religious organizations, seemingly pointing to the Unification Church. A senior presidential official, speaking anonymously, stressed Lee's determination to eradicate these collusive ties, highlighting the president's seriousness about the issue.
In a Cabinet meeting last week, President Lee condemned the political manipulation by certain religious groups as unconstitutional and suggested scrutinizing measures to disband those involved in illegal activities, referencing a similar legal action in Japan. Earlier this year, a Japanese court dissolved the Unification Church over unlawful practices, revoking its tax-exempt status.
During Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Lee sought updates from Minister of Government Legislation Cho Won-cheol on exploring measures against religious groups partaking in political interference or illegal funding.
Additionally, a former official of the Unification Church, involved in a corruption case linked to ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, was anticipated to disclose names of DP lawmakers allegedly bribed by the church. Yun Young-ho, the former head of the church's global headquarters, stands accused of offering luxurious gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, in return for business advantages in 2022.
Such revelations could significantly impact the DP and Lee's administration, which has characterized the investigations into Yun and church leader Han Hak-ja as exposing corrupt affiliations between the religious group and Yoon's former administration.
On Tuesday, the special counsel referred a case involving suspected ties between the Unification Church and DP lawmakers to the police, addressing critiques that previous probes focused solely on opposition lawmakers. The National Police Agency confirmed the formation of a dedicated team to investigate the church's connections with DP officials, stating they had received pertinent documents from special counsel Min Joong-ki's team earlier that day.
The police underscored the urgency of the investigation, citing concerns such as the statute of limitations, as they moved swiftly to initiate the probe.