Police investigating allegations that the Unification Church lobbied political circles have converted Jung Won-ju, former chief of staff to President Han Hak-ja, into a suspect and summoned the person again for questioning.
The Korean National Police Agency's special task force summoned Jung to the Korean National Police Agency in Seodaemun District, Seoul, from 10 a.m. on the 28th and is pressing on whether there was involvement in allegations of delivering money and valuables to former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Chun Jae-soo and others in political circles.
Jung appeared at the Korean National Police Agency at about 9:55 a.m. that day. To questions such as "What will you clarify?" and "Is there anything you want to explain?" the person did not answer and headed to the interrogation room.
Jung has served as vice director of Cheonmuwon, the Unification Church's top administrative body, among other posts, and is known as the No. 2 figure in the church and a closest aide to President Han. Jung appeared once as a reference witness at police on the 18th, but police are said to have since booked the person as a suspect.
Based on factors including Jung's role overseeing Unification Church funds, police are said to suspect Jung may have recognized or partly participated in the alleged delivery of tens of millions of won in money and valuables by the Unification Church side between 2018 and around 2020 to former Minister Chun, former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lim Jong-seong, and former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Kyu-hwan.
Police are also looking into whether there were solicitations to resolve church agenda items such as promoting a Korea-Japan undersea tunnel during the process of delivering money and valuables. Considering that the statute of limitations could expire at the end of this month if the Political Funds Act is applied to former Minister Chun, the investigation appears to be accelerating.
Police also summoned and questioned the day before a former Unification Church Korea president surnamed Lee and one person involved in managing Unification Church funds as reference witnesses.
In addition, police plan to summon and question on this day a person surnamed Park, former Busan chapter head of the Universal Peace Federation, who delivered President Han Hak-ja's autobiography to former Minister Chun ahead of the 2020 general election.