Seoul: A former Unification Church official on trial for allegedly funneling church funds to People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers has claimed that the church also gave support to some politicians at the Democratic Party (DP) ahead of the 2022 presidential election, according to legal sources Monday. Yun Young-ho, the former head of the church's global headquarters, made the testimony last Friday during his trial on embezzlement and other charges after special counsel Min Joong-ki's team indicted him for allegedly providing funds to PPP lawmakers, including Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, in 2022.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yun's claims have raised suspicions that Min's team might have conducted a biased investigation solely focused on the PPP, as the allegations related to the now-ruling DP only became publicized through the former official's testimony at court. Yun testified that he tried to approach not only PPP but also DP officials ahead of the presidential election in March 2022. He stated that he met with numerous people from both parties, indicating a non-partisan approach.
Yun further claimed that from 2017 to 2021, he was closer to the DP and that two of the four people he approached had met with Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja. He mentioned that he had informed Min's team of these interactions during questioning in August and had provided a list of lawmakers. Yun reportedly told the team he had given tens of millions of won to both a current and a former lawmaker during the former Moon Jae-in administration from 2017 to 2022, and claimed the church supported 15 DP politicians through political donations, book purchases, and other methods.
Min's team has stated that an investigation into the allegations did not take place as it remained unclear whether the Unification Church provided support to the DP in an organized manner as it did with the PPP. The team is tasked with investigating corruption allegations surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee - the wife of jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol - and is mandated to be politically neutral under a special counsel law. Yun is also accused of delivering luxury gifts to the former first lady in return for business favors.
In response to Yun's testimony, PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog criticized the special counsel probe, labeling it a "political investigation to oppress the opposition party." Meanwhile, Baek Seung-ah, spokesperson for the DP's floor leadership, defended the special counsel, stating that her party was not investigated because it did not receive illegal support as the PPP did. The Unification Church has yet to comment on Yun's testimony.