Seoul: The prosecution and the police have formed a joint investigation team to address allegations of bribery involving the Unification Church, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, and political figures, as announced by the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO).

According to Yonhap News Agency, the establishment of this team follows the conclusion of the investigation period mandated for special counsel Min Joong-ki's team, which ended last month without fully uncovering the details of the alleged bribery between the Unification Church and lawmakers from both the ruling and main opposition parties.

The SPO stated that the joint team will not only focus on the Unification Church but will also investigate the Shincheonji Church and other religious groups to ascertain whether they provided bribes to politicians and influenced elections. Kim Tae-hoon, chief of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office, has been appointed to lead the team, which will consist of 47 prosecutors and police officials. Their offices will be located within the Seoul High Prosecutors Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office.

President Lee Jae Myung previously directed the creation of a special or joint investigation body to tackle the scandal. He emphasized the need to uncover the truth and ensure accountability to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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 of the main opposition People Power Party and an investigation into Rep. Chun Jae-soo of the ruling Democratic Party, among other prominent figures.

Efforts to appoint a special counsel to further investigate the matter have been stalled due to disagreements between rival parties.