Police currently investigating allegations of lobbying by the Unification Church toward the political sphere obtained an arrest warrant for former Unification Church world headquarters Deputy Minister Yoon Young-ho, who is in custody, and carried out a compulsory investigation.
The Korean National Police Agency special task force said it executed an arrest warrant at about 9:50 a.m. on the 26th at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, for former Deputy Minister Yoon, who is accused of offering bribes and violating the Political Funds Act.
Police were said to have requested and obtained the arrest warrant from the court, saying a swift additional investigation of former Deputy Minister Yoon was necessary.
On the 24th, police visited former Deputy Minister Yoon, who had been taken into custody, and attempted an interview investigation. However, the attempt fell through when former Deputy Minister Yoon's side refused, citing personal reasons. Police then proceeded with the investigation by obtaining an arrest warrant instead of an interview visit.
Police are expected to question former Deputy Minister Yoon based on materials seized in searches, including the so-called "TM (True Mother) special report document" and Unification Church accounting records.
Former Deputy Minister Yoon is suspected of delivering cash worth tens of millions of won and luxury watches to former Minister Chun Jae-soo of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, former lawmaker Lim Jong-sung of the Democratic Party of Korea, and former lawmaker Kim Kyu-hwan of the United Future Party around 2018–2020.
Police also began digital forensics on PC files secured from the Busan constituency office of the former minister on the day.
Attorney Lee Yong-gu, counsel for the former minister, appeared before police at about 9:48 a.m. to observe the forensics.
When asked by reporters whether the former minister had any contact with Unification Church officials, Attorney Lee said, "That is our understanding," adding, "We will only say that we will faithfully cooperate with the police investigation."
On the 16th, police began analyzing seized cellphones and documents such as congratulatory messages related to Unification Church events from the former minister's parliamentary office, residence, and workplace. The former minister's cellphone has reportedly already undergone forensics.
For former lawmakers Lim and Kim, the forensic process has not yet begun.
It appears authorities are first focusing on the investigation of the former minister, whose statute of limitations is reportedly nearing expiration. The alleged violation of the Political Funds Act by the former minister carries a seven-year statute of limitations, which expires this month.
On the 23rd, police raided the headquarters of Bulgari Korea and Cartier Korea in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and moved to secure materials such as product purchase histories and transaction records. Based on the seized materials, police plan to verify whether the watches were purchased and how they were delivered.
The search and seizure warrant for the former minister listed only "2000 million won in cash and a Bulgari watch worth around 10 million won" as the money and goods received, unlike former Deputy Minister Yoon's special prosecutor statement in Aug., which differed.
In Aug., former Deputy Minister Yoon was said to have told the Min Joong-ki special prosecutor team during an interview that "in 2018, the former lawmaker received a request related to the 'Korea-Japan undersea tunnel project' from the Unification Church side and received 40 million won in cash and one Cartier and one Bulgari watch."
Police also plan to trace the whereabouts of the remaining Cartier watch and secure the item.