Seoul: Police investigating the Unification Church's alleged bribery of politicians questioned a former chief secretary of the church's leader Han Hak-ja on Thursday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeong Won-ju, who served as the former chief of staff to Han, appeared at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) at 9:43 a.m. She was questioned as a witness in connection with bribery allegations involving former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo and other political figures.

Jeong, recognized as the second-highest ranking official in the Unification Church and a trusted aide to Han, remained silent when approached by reporters at the KNPA entrance regarding the suspected bribery activities.

Police are expected to delve into whether substantial amounts of cash and luxury watches were given to Chun, Rep. Lim Jong-seong of the ruling Democratic Party, and former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan between 2018 and 2020.

Additionally, Jeong is anticipated to face questions concerning potential directives from Han related to a Unification Church foundation's purchase of 500 books authored by Chun for 10 million won (US$6,780) in 2019.

The police previously questioned Han at the Seoul Detention Center on Wednesday about the bribery allegations. Han has been in custody since September, facing various charges, including bribery, illegal political donations, and destruction of evidence.