Latest news with #UnificationChurch
Observer
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Observer
Prosecutors seek new warrant to question Yoon
SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors requested a fresh detention warrant on Wednesday to forcibly question former president Yoon Suk Yeol, after he refused to appear at his summons multiple times. Yoon plunged South Korea into a political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule on December 3, sending troops to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers voting down his declaration of martial law. Prosecutors investigating allegations parliamentary election tampering summoned Yoon for questioning — but he failed to appear, with his lawyers citing health issues. 'The special counsel office issued a second summons this morning for former president Yoon Suk Yeol to appear at 10 am, after he failed to show up the previous day,' prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee told reporters on Wednesday. 'However, he again did not appear and provided no explanation. As a result, the special counsel formally requested a detention warrant for Yoon this afternoon,' Oh added. Prosecutors are also investigating allegations that Jeon Seong-bae received a diamond necklace and a luxury designer handbag from a senior official of the Unification Church and passed them on to Kim. — AFP
The Mainichi
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Court OKs provisional seizure of Unification Church's Tokyo HQ land
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A Japanese court has approved the provisional seizure of the Unification Church headquarters' land in Tokyo as sought by alleged victims of the entity's aggressive donation solicitation practices, a lawyers' group said Wednesday. The 10 people, who are negotiating damages payment by the Unification Church in a separate procedure, filed for the land seizure in June, fearing the church could hide its assets to evade payouts, the group said. In the decision dated July 18, the Tokyo District Court gave the green light to the seizure, based on a new law enacted in December 2023 to strengthen monitoring of religious corporation assets that could be subject to legal claims. The law was crafted amid concerns that the Unification Church, which may lose religious corporation status and related tax benefits, could attempt to transfer compensation-liable assets overseas. The Unification Church was designated as a religious corporation covered by the law in March 2024. With the seizure, the church can continue its activities at the headquarters' building but cannot sell or donate the land. While an application for provisional seizure requires collateral, the Japan Legal Support Center, a public organization, provided the financial support based on the law, the group said. The law strengthens surveillance of a group under the threat of losing its religious corporation status, such as by requiring the entity to give central or prefectural government authorities at least one month's notice of any plan to dispose of assets. If a notification is not given, the organization is prohibited from any further liquidation. The Tokyo District Court in March ordered that the Unification Church be stripped of its religious corporation status, as sought by the Japanese government. But the legal proceedings continue, as the religious group has appealed to a high court. Such a dissolution order, if finalized, would deprive the group, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, of tax benefits as a religious corporation, although it would still be able to continue its activities in Japan. Following the finalization of the order, a liquidator will dispose of the Unification Church's assets, enabling victims who are recognized as creditors to receive compensation. Its practices came to the public eye after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022 by a man claiming to hold a grudge against the organization because of financially ruinous donations taken from his mother. Tetsuya Yamagami, who has been indicted over the shooting, told investigators that he targeted Abe over the role of the politician's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, in helping establish the Unification Church in Japan in the 1960s. It was founded in South Korea by a staunch anti-communist in 1954.
The Sun
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
South Korean prosecutors seek warrant to question ex-president Yoon
SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors have filed for a new detention warrant to compel former president Yoon Suk Yeol to appear for questioning after he repeatedly ignored summonses. The move comes amid an ongoing political crisis stemming from Yoon's alleged attempt to subvert civilian rule in December 2024. Yoon, who was detained in January after resisting arrest, faces charges related to his declaration of martial law and the deployment of troops to parliament. Although released in March on procedural grounds, he was rearrested in early July over concerns he might tamper with evidence. Prosecutors investigating election interference allegations summoned Yoon twice this week, but he failed to appear, with his lawyers citing health reasons. 'The special counsel formally requested a detention warrant this afternoon after Yoon again did not show up,' said prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee. The warrant, if approved, would allow authorities to forcibly question Yoon, who is already in detention. Meanwhile, separate legal troubles loom for Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, over allegations involving a shaman and luxury gifts linked to the Unification Church. - AFP
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
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. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
6 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Unification Church probe widens; notebook reveals alleged political outreach
A notebook allegedly belonging to former senior Unification Church executive Yoon Young-ho reportedly contains entries describing a phone call made by Jeon Seong-bae, a self-described spiritual adviser with ties to the Unification Church, directly to then–First Lady Kim Keon-hee (shown). File Photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA 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.
