Police currently investigating allegations that political figures received money and valuables have launched an additional raid on the Unification Church.
The Korean National Police Agency's special dedicated investigation team has been executing a search and seizure warrant on Cheonjeonggung, the Unification Church's holy site in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi, since the morning of the 18th. It is said that investigators are receiving materials needed for the investigation through voluntary submission.
On the 15th, police also raided 10 locations, including Cheonjeonggung, the Unification Church's Seoul headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, and the detention cells of President Han Hak-ja and former world headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho at the Seoul Detention Center, over about 15 hours. They are said to have secured reports and accounting documents from around 2018.
At the time, the locations searched were also said to include the National Assembly office and home of Chun Jae-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea (former Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries), the home of former Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jong-seong, the home of former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan, and the Kim Keon-hee special counsel team (Min Joong-ki special counsel team).
Police have accelerated the probe after receiving the case from the Kim Keon-hee special counsel on the 10th. In Aug., the former headquarters chief told the special counsel that the Unification Church side approached not only People Power Party figures but also Democratic Party figures and provided money and valuables.
Police notified the former lawmaker to appear for questioning at 10 a.m. on the 19th. The former lawmaker is suspected of receiving money and gifts along with lobbying on issues within the Unification Church, such as breaking ground on a Korea-Japan undersea tunnel. The former lawmaker's side denies the allegations, saying there were no illegal payments.