The joint prosecution-police task force on church-state collusion, which is currently investigating allegations that the Unification Church lobbied the political sphere, has summoned Park, head of the Jeongseon Church, for questioning.
According to legal sources, the task force summoned Park in the morning as a suspect and is under investigation. The task force is expected to check whether Park had any contacts with political figures.
The Unification Church is under suspicion of delivering money and valuables to politicians. Previously, former Unification Church World Headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho claimed that from 2018 to 2020 he handed over money and valuables worth tens of millions of won to figures including Chun Jae-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea, former Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jong-seong, and former United Future Party (UFP) lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan.
Park, the church head who is being questioned after being summoned, is regarded as someone who has maintained ties with the political sphere, including the ruling camp, for nearly 20 years. It has been reported that Park's name appears multiple times in a document titled "TM (True Mother) special report" that Unification Church executives prepared for Han Hak-ja.
On the 11th, the task force visited Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, where Han is being held, and conducted an interview-based inquiry. Han faces allegations of bribery by offering money and valuables to politicians and violating the Political Funds Act.
The task force has questioned most of those involved except for the former lawmaker. It has summoned former lawmaker Lim and former lawmaker Kim twice each. Former Unification Church chief of staff Jeong Won-ju was also questioned on the 4th as a suspect on suspicion of violating the Political Funds Act.
The task force is expected to decide how to handle the custody of key suspects once the questioning of those involved is completed.