The joint investigation headquarters probing alleged collusion between politics and religion on the 25th summoned former United Future Party (UFP) lawmaker Kim Kyu-hwan over suspicions that the Unification Church lobbied politicians with cash and valuables.
Starting at 10 a.m. the same day, the joint investigation headquarters summoned the former lawmaker as a suspect for violating the Political Funds Act and is under investigation.
Appearing for questioning that day, the former lawmaker flatly denied the allegations, saying, "I was cut off from nomination in the March 2020 general election and announced I would not run, so it makes no sense, as a matter of common sense, that money was given to be used for the election." He also claimed he had never met former Unification Church world headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho or President Han Hak-ja.
The former lawmaker is suspected of receiving 30 million won in cash from the Unification Church ahead of the 21st general election in 2020. At the time, at Cheonjeonggung in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, President Han and the former Unification Church world headquarters chief allegedly handed the former lawmaker a box of cash, saying it was "to use well for the general election."
The joint investigation headquarters believes the Unification Church provided cash and valuables to the former lawmaker, who served on the Trade. Industry Energy. SMEs. and Startups Committee of the National Assembly, to use him as a lobbying conduit for its long-cherished Korea-Japan undersea tunnel project.
It is also known that a document was found showing that the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), established by the Unification Church, requested a budget of 14 million won from the world headquarters in 2020 under the pretext of an advisory fee for the former lawmaker.
The joint investigation headquarters is investigating allegations that from 2018 to 2020 the former world headquarters chief Yoon provided cash and valuables worth tens of millions of won to several politicians, including the former lawmaker, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Chun Jae-soo, and former lawmaker Lim Jong-seong.