Seoul: The prosecution and police have decided to establish a joint investigation team to tackle allegations of bribery involving the Unification Church and political figures, as reported by legal sources on Tuesday. This initiative emerges as the investigation led by special counsel Min Joong-ki concluded last month, without fully uncovering the extent of the alleged bribery involving the church and lawmakers from both the ruling and main opposition parties.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Tae-hoon, the chief of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office, has been appointed to head the joint team. President Lee Jae Myung had previously called for the creation of a special or joint investigation unit to address the scandal, emphasizing the need to uncover the truth and ensure accountability to prevent future occurrences of similar offenses.

The bribery allegations came to light during Min's investigation into former first lady Kim Keon Hee's suspected corruption. This led to the indictment of Rep. Kweon Seong-dong from the main opposition People Power Party and an inquiry into Rep. Chun Jae-soo from the ruling Democratic Party, among other prominent figures. However, discussions regarding the appointment of a special counsel to further examine the issue have reached an impasse due to disagreements between the rival political parties.