Unification Church probe widens; notebook reveals alleged political outreach
SEOUL, July 25 (UPI) -- South Korean prosecutors are expanding their investigation into the Unification Church, citing potential violations of political funding and anti-corruption laws.
The inquiry has gained momentum following the emergence of financial records and a handwritten notebook that allegedly documents attempts by Church-affiliated figures to cultivate influence within the country's political establishment.
According to the special prosecutor's team, authorities have obtained and are reviewing three years' worth of the Unification Church's internal accounting data, including donation records, expenditures and other financial documents.
Prosecutors emphasized that the investigation does not concern religious doctrine or faith, but rather the suspected misuse of religious funds for political purposes.
Evidence from former executive's notebook
A pivotal piece of evidence surfaced in a report Wednesday by SBS News, which published contents of a notebook allegedly belonging to former senior Unification Church executive Yoon Young-ho.
The notebook reportedly contains entries describing a phone call made by Jeon Seong-bae, a self-described spiritual adviser with ties to the Church, directly to then-First Lady Kim Keon-hee.
According to SBS, the call -- made in the presence of Yoon and ruling People Power Party lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong and Yoon Han-hong -- included requests for government support of Cambodia-related development projects and other political favors potentially benefiting the Unification Church.
Both lawmakers have denied involvement or knowledge of such requests. Prosecutors are investigating whether the outreach reflected a broader strategy by church affiliates to build political access through informal channels.
Receipts for luxury items found
Separate from the notebook, the special prosecutor's team has reportedly uncovered receipts for high-end luxury items, including a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel handbags.
These receipts were recovered not from Yoon's personal residence, but from inside the Church's Seoul headquarters -- an issue now at the center of a dispute between the Church and its former executive.
In a press release, the Unification Church stated that the purchases were made personally by Yoon, who then allegedly funneled the transactions through Church accounts using his wife, who served as a financial director. Church officials claimed they were unaware of the spending and characterized it as a personal deviation.
In response, Yoon's side asserted that the documents' presence at Church headquarters indicates institutional involvement, not individual misconduct.
"There is no reason for a religious organization's main office to store personal receipts for luxury goods," one legal representative said. Prosecutors, who questioned Yoon for more than 14 hours, are now tracing the flow of funds to determine whether Church finances were used for personal purchases.
Signs of political mobilization
Prosecutors are also reviewing reports that in 2022, Yoon circulated People Power Party membership application forms to Church members, possibly to consolidate political influence. While not illegal per se, the act raises questions about whether the Unification Church directed members' political activity in a coordinated manner.
The investigation has been further bolstered by the acquisition of internal memos and donor records from the past three fiscal years, which could provide evidence of systematic diversion of offerings for political or personal benefit.
Prosecutors clarify: Not a case about faith
On July 18, Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki issued a public statement underscoring the non-religious focus of the probe.
"This is not a probe into beliefs or doctrine," he said. "This is an inquiry into violations of the Political Funds Act, the Anti-Graft Act and related criminal statutes."
In response, the Unification Church issued its own statement Thursday, condemning the investigation as "a clear violation of religious freedom." The Church also accused media outlets of defamatory and distorted coverage and warned of potential legal action against journalists and commentators.
Historical pattern of deflecting accountability
Legal experts and observers point out that this is not the first time the Unification Church has invoked religious liberty in response to mounting scrutiny.
In March, a Japanese court ordered the dissolution of the Church's local corporation, concluding that abusive fundraising practices -- including those linked to the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- violated the public interest. The court found that the Church had "coercively exploited religious authority" to solicit excessive donations.
In the United States, the Church lost a 14-year legal battle over UCI, a nonprofit governed by a board under the chairmanship of Hyun Jin Preston Moon, the third son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that the case involved questions of religious doctrine and church organization which courts were forbidden to rule on by the religious freedom clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The court, therefore, rejected the Church's power play to assert control over UCI.
Looking ahead
Prosecutors have already summoned Yoon for questioning and are expected to call other senior Unification Church officials in the coming weeks. The inquiry continues to widen as investigators analyze seized documents, financial ledgers and digital communications.
As new allegations emerge, legal analysts note a growing debate in South Korea over how democracies should balance protections for religious freedom with the need to safeguard public accountability -- especially if spiritual institutions operate as political or financial actors cloaked in religious legitimacy.
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Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Exclusive: EU Ambassador Reveals Next Challenges After Trump Trade Deal
In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with Newsweek, European Union Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupšienė revealed the next priorities for the 27-member bloc in navigating the challenges associated with the longstanding and evolving partnership with the U.S. and other top geopolitical issues. The conversation comes days after President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a historic trade deal, halving the 30 percent tariff rate threatened by the U.S. leader on most EU goods and spurring hopes of re-stabilizing transatlantic ties. Neliupšienė said the deal has helped to achieve a level of "predictability and certainty" in the bilateral relationship. Now, the EU is moving to address lingering trials on other fronts, particularly as they relate to Russia's war in Ukraine, China's growing economic influence and the need for Europe to assert itself more strongly on the world stage. And while Neliupšienė argues that the EU is currently looking to shore up independent security capabilities across Europe, she also said that it was simultaneously seeking to bolster its defense partnership with the U.S., including through the provision of arms, which Trump said amounted to the EU "purchasing hundreds of billions of dollars-worth of military equipment," as part of the recent deal. "Because of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and because for European countries, security is really an existential topic right now," Neliupšienė told Newsweek, "I think cooperation on the strategic level, but as well on defense procurement with the U.S., is extremely important." The EU has emerged as a key player in supporting Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, sparking Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. As of this month, the EU and its 27 member states have pledged $180 billion in assistance to Kyiv as it attempts to fend off its great-power neighbor. The number surpasses the estimated $175 billion allocated on Ukraine-related aid by the U.S., which, under Trump, has repeatedly expressed skepticism about long-term commitments to the war. The White House is currently pushing both sides to sign a peace deal, breaking with the previous administration by pursuing direct talks with the Kremlin. While Trump has more recently expressed more pointed criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and shortened his deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, Neliupšienė argued that the EU committed indefinitely to ensuring Ukraine's victory in the conflict. "I think that we have no choice of helping Ukraine and stepping up our support, making sure that they can defend themselves, that they can defend the principles they are fighting for," Neliupšienė said. "I think that sometimes we forget the principle where we started," she added. "We will support it as long as it takes and as much as it takes for making sure that Ukraine actually can win." Beyond military assistance, she explained that this endeavor would take further economic action, including additional sanctions and waning the continent off of Russian oil and gas, a measure supported by the recent trade deal through which the EU pledged to purchase some $750 billion dollars' worth of U.S. energy over the next three years. "I really believe that there is really understanding at the moment among all 27 member states that this is the right thing to do and we will do it because there's no alternative," Neliupšienė said. "I don't see any alternative at the moment." The only "alternative" she did identify was that "Russia can stop fighting that war, and then that will be probably the first step towards inspiring peace." As for what an eventual settlement could look like, she emphasized that such a framework should be "really in the hands of Ukraine," while noting that the EU would continue to play a role in promoting a resolution. "Russia's war in Ukraine is actually at our borders, at the European borders, and Europeans would probably full-heartedly support the peace settlement," Neliupšienė said. "And I think that, in this way, President Trump's effort is very much welcome." "Yes, we have conversations of how we see that and what that could be, that could be on the European level, but it's definitely happening on the member state level as well," she added. "I don't see it as in a competition. I see that as everyone who can contribute to that should have a say." Three days before the EU-U.S. trade deal was announced, EU leadership held a summit in the capital of Washington's leading global competitor, Beijing. Among other things, the high-profile meeting produced an "upgraded export supply mechanism," through which the EU seeks to ease access to China's rare-earth elements. China dominates the supply chain of these critical metals, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the world's supply and 90 percent of processing, and instituted new export restrictions in April as trade tensions with the U.S. mounted. But even with this breakthrough, serious issues remain in the relationship. One concern repeatedly brought up by the European side was China's reported export of dual-use technologies to Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Dual-use technologies — which can encompass everything from satellites to semiconductors — are developed for civilian use but have potential military uses as well. "We have the situation that China is continuing to provide and to sell some of the of the dual-use [technology] and their components, which would then end up in the in the battlefield in Ukraine, which is not acceptable," Neliupšienė said, "because it prolongs the war." "And I think that is a responsible responsibility of major actor in the region, to make sure it's not happening," she added. Beijing has denied providing any "lethal equipment" to either side of the conflict, while also fostering efforts to develop its strategic partnership with Moscow. Neliupšienė said the EU would also continue work to address other obstacles in the bloc's relationship with China, including a need for "rebalancing" trade relations. She said that the EU currently accounts for roughly 15 percent of China's exports, while EU exports to China were only around 8 percent. The problem is compounded by what she saw as "non-market practices" on the part of China, including overcapacity, subsidized industry and lack of market access, which she said the EU was currently investigating. "We are open for free trade. So, Chinese companies can participate in and be part of our market, while European companies do not necessarily get that," Neliupšienė said. "And their export control of the rare earth and permanent magnets has as well distorted economic relations." Still, given China's growing role in global affairs, she acknowledged that the EU would continue to find ways to work with Beijing, even as it sought to compete and, in some cases, rival the People's Republic. "You still have an element where we are glad to work with China," Neliupšienė said, "for example, on climate change, and how we move forward on green technologies, which I think that everyone who sees the situation in the world right now understands that there are certain things which we have to do as all major economic actors in here." "So, it's like multiple relations," she added, "and I think that it will continue to be, as in our strategic documents, we are trading partners, we are competitors, and we are systemic rivals." As the EU tackles challenges mounted by both Russia and China, Neliupšienė asserted that the first order remains on the home front. "First of all, we have to concentrate on the on the challenges at home, and this Commission, in this cycle, what is needed for the European Union is actually to make sure that we increase our competitiveness," Neliupšienė said. "And we can really concentrate on innovation, on research, on the things which make sure that our economy is growing, and we can contribute not only economic growth, but the jobs and prosperity for our people," she added. These efforts also include ramping up defense spending at a time when the European Commission has already announced earlier this year that member states would spend some $685 billion — on top of more than $170 billion in EU loans — to mount a massive rearmament plan. The push comes amid growing calls from EU leaders to curb reliance on the U.S. for security assurances, appeals that have been amplified by frictions that have emerged between the Trump administration and European allies. As Neliupšienė notes, the process will likely take some time. "The idea of this money actually is to make sure we are boosting our defense capabilities and defense production and defense industry," she said, "because, well, it's pretty clear that it was the request of the United States, and especially the current leadership, that the EU has to step up." "Of course, it will never happen overnight," she added. "We are speaking about really high tech [platforms]. We are speaking about certain platforms of defense technologies which we have to keep up and to develop if we want to be more independent." Ultimately, she said, "what for us is extremely important in this situation is to make sure we have more strategic independence, we have diversification, and we are really increasing the production and real defense industry on the ground, to have a possibility to not only to defend ourselves, but to deter." 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And I do believe that, and I'm sure we will stand to our values," she added. "We are really a freedom- loving country, we are a democracy, we are a rule of law-based entity, and we will stand with those values. And I think that this is what makes this transatlantic relationship work." Related Articles Peter Navarro Says Trump Might Get Nobel Economics PrizeTrump's EU Deal May Not Hurt PutinDonald Trump's Trade Deal Splits EuropeRussia Says Nazism Making Comeback in West 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
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Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested it could take months to determine whether the import duties will cause just a one-time increase in prices or a more persistent increase in inflation. Trump using Canada's recognition of Palestinian state in trade talks Trump said Canada's announcement it will recognize a Palestinian state 'will make it very hard' for the U.S. to reach a trade agreement with its northern neighbor. The threat posted in the early hours Thursday on Trump's social media network is the latest way he has sought to use his trade war to coerce countries on unrelated issues, and is a swing from the ambivalence he has expressed about other countries making such a move. 'Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine,' Trump posted on Truth Social just past midnight. 'That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh' Canada!!! The Republican president said this week that he didn't mind British Prime Minister Keir Starmer taking a position on the issue of formally recognizing Palestinian statehood. And last week, he said French President Emmanuel Macron's similar move was 'not going to change anything.' All the ways Republicans want to honor Trump, from the $100 bill to Mount Rushmore Imagine getting the day off work for Donald Trump's birthday. Receiving a $100 bill with Trump's portrait on it. Touching down at Donald J. Trump International Airport near the nation's capital. And taking in a show at the Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts. All would be possible under a series of bills Republican lawmakers have sponsored this year. Trump is little more than six months into his second term, but some Republicans are ready to elevate him into the pantheon of American greats, proposing an ever-growing list of bills paying tribute well before his second term ends. One lawmaker even proposes carving his face into Mount Rushmore. It's a legislative exercise that mixes flattery and politics, providing another stark reminder of the Republican Party's transformation under Trump as lawmakers from red-leaning states and congressional districts look for ways to win the president's good graces — and stay close to his supporters. Trump's flurry of trade activity includes tariffs on Brazil and a deal with South Korea The United States will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India's purchasing of Russian oil, Trump said Wednesday. The new tariffs were part of a flurry of trade activity that included a series of executive actions regarding Brazil, copper and shipments of goods worth less than $800, as well as a reduced 15% tax on imports from South Korea, including its autos. It was all a prelude to Friday when Trump's new tariff regime is scheduled to start, an event the White House has portrayed as a testament to Trump's negotiating skills even as concerns persist about the taxes hurting growth and increasing inflationary pressures. The South Korea agreement will impose a 15% tariff, instead of the 25% Trump had threatened. South Korea would also buy $100 billion in energy resources from the U.S. and provide $350 billion for 'investments owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as president,' Trump said. Triumphant in trade talks, Trump and his tariffs still face a challenge in federal court Trump has been getting his way on trade, strong-arming the European Union, Japan and other partners to accept once unthinkably high taxes on their exports to the United States. But his radical overhaul of American trade policy has not gone unchallenged. He's facing at least seven lawsuits charging that he's overstepped his authority. The plaintiffs want his biggest, boldest tariffs thrown out. And they won Round One. Now it goes on to Round Two. On Thursday, the 11 judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, which typically specializes in patent law, are scheduled to hear oral arguments from the Trump administration and from the states and businesses that want his sweeping import taxes struck down. That court earlier allowed the federal government to continue collecting Trump's tariffs as the case works its way through the judicial system.
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Gay Archbishop's Appointment Criticized by Christian Group
The appointment of Cherry Vann as the new Archbishop of Wales, the first woman and first openly gay person to hold the post, has triggered backlash from conservative Christian group Christian Concern, which accused her of contradicting core biblical teachings. Christian Concern's Chief Executive, Andrea Williams, said Vann "is publicly living in deliberate rejection" of church doctrine because "she lives with her civil partner, Wendy, in a same-sex relationship." The group's Head of Public Policy, Tim Dieppe, told Newsweek Vann is "openly defying the doctrine she has taken a vow to." The Church in Wales, which has praised Vann's "rich diocesan experience and deep commitment to reconciliation" declined to respond to the criticism. The appointment of an openly gay leader to a major Anglican post has ignited a cultural and theological flashpoint within global Christianity, with the Church in Wales positioning itself as a more inclusive body compared to other Anglican provinces. In the United States, similar shifts have played out. The Episcopal Church elected Gene Robinson in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop, leading to lasting tensions with the broader Anglican Communion. More recently, openly LGBTQ+ clergy continue to serve in several U.S. dioceses, including Bishop Bonnie Perry of Michigan. Williams said: Cherry Vann lives with her civil partner, Wendy, in a same-sex relationship. This directly contradicts the Church's historic and biblical doctrine that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and that sexual relationships are reserved for marriage. "As an ordained minister, and now Archbishop, Cherry Vann has sworn to uphold the teaching of the Church. Instead, she is publicly living in deliberate rejection of those very doctrines." Christian Concern is a U.K-based conservative evangelical advocacy organization, known for supporting high-profile Christian freedom legal cases. Cherry Vann was elected Archbishop of Wales on Wednesday, after securing support from two-thirds of an electoral college composed of clergy and lay representatives, according to British newspaper The Guardian. She is also the first LGBTQ+ person to hold the title in Wales. Her civil partnership is permitted under current Church in Wales rules, which allow clergy to enter same-sex civil unions. While same-sex weddings are not currently performed in the church, a 2021 vote by its governing body authorized blessings for same-sex civil partnerships-a change supported unanimously by the bishops and passed by majorities in the clergy and laity, according to BBC News. Under church law, clergy may opt out of conducting such blessings, but their availability is seen as a meaningful theological endorsement. "The Church in Wales has done the right thing under God for the LGBTQIA+ community," said Bishop Gregory Cameron, who introduced the 2021 bill. Dieppe said that this amounted to a change in practice not doctrine meaning that, while he still this is a "contradictory position" for the church, Vann's appointment "is still against doctrine." "She doesn't believe her own church's teachings," Dieppe told Newsweek. "Lots of people are out there thinking this is absurd." Vann was elected to succeed Archbishop Andy John, who stepped down in June amid growing scrutiny of his leadership after two reports uncovered a culture of excessive drinking, bullying, and sexual misconduct at Bangor Cathedral. There was no suggestion the former archbishop had behaved inappropriately. Though no allegations were made directly against John, he issued an "unreserved and unequivocal" apology, saying he accepted full responsibility for the church's failures under his leadership. Vann herself is a patron of the Open Table Network, an ecumenical Christian community for LGBTQ+ people and allies. She has spoken out against opposition to her role in the church before, telling local outlet "There were a lot of unkind and unpleasant things said on both sides until the day where the General Synod eventually decided that this was the way the church should go." "I remember being told myself that I couldn't possibly have a call to the priesthood because the church didn't allow it, as if that was a watertight argument," she said. "I think when you have that sense of call, it doesn't go away and it won't go away and we were left waiting." She went on to speak about how she hid being gay for a long time. "I have to confess that I hid it for a long, long time as a lot of gay clergy do, and as a lot of people sitting in the pews do," she said. "I hid it out of fear. It was a very fearful place to be, and it felt also quite disingenuous." She added: "I believe that by simply being here as an out gay person with a partner, and my partner is accompanying me on some of my visits, and we've had nothing but welcome from everybody, I believe that is probably doing as much, if not more, than I would achieve if I were to be an open campaigner on the subject." When Newsweek contacted the Church in Wales for a response to this criticism, it declined to comment. But it went on to highlight some of the welcome Cherry had recieved, including from the Cytun, the ecumenical Christian body for Wales, which is made up of the Baptist Union of Wales, the Congregational Federation of Wales, the Union of Welsh Independents, the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the Methodist Church in Wales, the Salvation Army, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Roman Catholic Church, and the United Reformed Church. It said: "With her rich diocesan experience and deep commitment to reconciliation let us uphold Archbishop-elect Cherry in prayer as she prepares to take up this historic ministry. May she be sustained by God's wisdom, compassion, and grace at this pivotal moment for the Church in Wales." Christian Concern's Chief Executive, Andrea Williams said: "That she was elected with a two-thirds majority of the Electoral College demonstrates that the Church in Wales has now institutionally turned away from biblical teaching on sexual morality. "What is a church if it refuses to uphold the doctrines it professes to believe? What does the Church in Wales actually stand for, if not the gospel handed down through the centuries? This appointment marks a tragic moment, evidence that the Church in Wales is in open rebellion against God's Word. It is a clear sign of apostasy. "No Bible-believing Christian can remain under the spiritual leadership of someone who so publicly rejects the clear teaching of Scripture. God will judge His Church for abandoning the gospel. As James reminds us, those who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1). Following her election, Vann said: "I work to bring healing and reconciliation, and to build a really good level of trust across the church and the communities the church serves." The Very Revd Ian Black, Dean of Newport said on behalf of the Diocese of Monmouth, where Vann has been a bishop for five years: "Cherry is the right person for this moment in the Church in Wales' life. She has the skills and vision that we need to restore trust following some very public failings. She has brought stability to the Diocese of Monmouth, managing the change to ministry areas with clarity and purpose, showing deep care for the clergy and people. This foundation will be a good base as she leads the Province over the next few years. She has a deep faith, which is also open to those who take a different view to her, and this has impressed those people enormously." He added: "She has the skills and vision that we need to restore trust following some very public failings. "She has a deep faith, which is also open to those who take a different view to her, and this has impressed those people enormously." The Church in Wales is expected to revisit its policy on same-sex blessings by next year, with a possible vote on allowing full same-sex marriage as early as next spring. Vann's leadership could prove pivotal in shaping that debate. 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