Incheon: Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo has announced his intention to resign following allegations of receiving bribes from the Unification Church. The minister, however, has strongly denied the claims, labeling them "completely groundless."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Chun's decision to step down comes after his return from a United Nations meeting in New York, where South Korea and Chile were chosen as co-hosts for a U.N. ocean conference scheduled for 2028. Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, Chun addressed reporters, stating, "As a public official, resigning from the ministerial post and squarely responding will be the right behavior." He emphasized his desire for the government to operate without distractions, describing the allegations as an "absurd but completely groundless controversy."

The allegations against Chun were brought to light by Yun Young-ho, the former head of the Unification Church's global headquarters. Yun claimed that Chun, along with other individuals affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party, accepted money and gifts from the church during former President Moon Jae-in's administration. Yun alleged that two luxury watches and tens of millions of won were given to Chun between 2018 and 2020, in exchange for assistance with the church's project to construct an undersea tunnel linking South Korea and Japan. At the time, Chun was serving as a Democratic Party lawmaker.

Chun has firmly denied any wrongdoing, asserting, "There was absolutely no illegal acceptance of money or valuables," and has expressed his willingness to clarify his position during the investigation or at a press conference. Yun's testimony emerged during his trial last week, where he accused the special counsel team of conducting a biased investigation focusing solely on the church's connections to the main opposition People Power Party, linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Currently, Yun is on trial for embezzlement and other charges related to a corruption case involving the former Yoon administration. The special counsel team has acknowledged receiving Yun's testimony but denied any bias, asserting that the allegations fall outside its investigative scope. As of Tuesday, the case has been transferred to the police for further investigation.