On the 24th, the special investigation team searched Samil Accounting Corporation and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in relation to the 'Gunjinbeopsa solicitation' allegations.
The special investigation team stated that they are searching Samil Accounting Corporation in Yongsan, Seoul, and KOICA's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in connection with allegations that the Unification Church solicited through Jeon Sung-bae regarding a Cambodian Official Development Assistance (ODA) project.
KOICA, an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is responsible for public aid projects to developing countries, and Samil Accounting Corporation is known to have conducted the Unification Church's accounting audits.
The special investigation team is investigating that Yoon Young-ho, who was the head of the Unification Church at that time, solicited Jeon on Unification Church matters.
Former Deputy Minister Yoon is accused of delivering two Chanel bags worth 20 million won and a Graff diamond necklace worth 60 million won along with ginseng concentrated tea to Jeon between April and June 2022, allegedly for the purpose of soliciting Unification Church matters from Kim Keon-hee.
Specifically, former Deputy Minister Yoon is at the center of allegations that he solicited issues such as the Cambodian Mekong River site development ODA project, the acquisition of YTN, and an invitation to the presidential inauguration through Jeon.
Around the time these solicitations were made, on June 13, 2022, the government increased the loan support limit for the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) for Cambodia from the previous $700 million (approximately 955.7 billion won at current exchange rates) to $1.5 billion (approximately 2.04 trillion won).
Earlier, on the 18th, the special investigation team conducted searches at the home of former Deputy Minister Yoon in Seoul, the Unification Church main church, and the Unification Church headquarters in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team plans to consecutively summon the former administrative officials known as the 'Moonlight Three'. Oh Jeong-hee, the special investigator, noted during a regular briefing that they plan to summons Yu Kyung-ok, the former administrative official, at 10 a.m. tomorrow (25th) and Jung Ji-won, another former administrative official, at 5 p.m. regarding allegations that Kim Keon-hee accepted valuable necklaces and other monetary benefits.
The previous day, the special investigation team first summoned Jo Yeon-kyung, a former administrative official among those referred to as the Moonlight Three, for questioning.
Former administrative official Yu is the person who directly received a luxury bag given to Kim Keon-hee from individuals associated with the Unification Church in the name of a gift for her and exchanged it for another bag. Former administrative official Jung is known to be the actual user of a contact saved under 'Keon-hee2' on Jeon's cellphone.
The special investigation team is expected to summon former administrative official Yu and former administrative official Jung to investigate the circumstances surrounding the receipt of luxury bags by Kim Keon-hee and the origins of the expensive necklace worn by Kim during her NATO visit in June 2022.