The joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters probing alleged collusion and corruption involving the Unification Church on the 18th questioned the spouse of Chun Jae-soo, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party of Korea, as a reference witness. The headquarters appears to be expanding the scope of its probe into alleged cash and gift exchanges linked to Chun to include family members, moving to verify the facts.
According to legal sources on the 18th, the joint investigation headquarters, led by Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office Chief Kim Tae-hoon as Deputy Minister, summoned and is questioning a person surnamed Choi, the spouse of Chun, on the afternoon of the same day. Chun is suspected of receiving 20 million won in cash and a luxury watch worth about 10 million won from the Unification Church side in 2018.
The investigation team has been tracing the circumstances based on testimony by former Unification Church World Headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho in last year's special counsel probe into Kim Keon-hee, in which Yoon said that between 2018 and 2020 he provided money and valuables to politicians including Chun. The headquarters is also said to be examining the possibility that the Unification Church contacted Chun to resolve pending issues such as the Korea-Japan undersea tunnel project, a long-cherished initiative.
On the 10th of last month, the headquarters executed a search and seizure warrant for Chun's National Assembly office and for staffers affiliated with the office. The forcible measure at the time was reportedly also aimed at confirming whether there were any signs of evidence destruction at the level of the lawmaker's office, alongside the main allegations of illicit funds tied to the Unification Church.
The headquarters has already questioned former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lim Jong-seong and former United Future Party (UFP) lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan twice each as criminal suspects over allegations of taking money and valuables from the Unification Church. While a direct interrogation of incumbent lawmaker Chun has not yet taken place, with questioning extending to the spouse, there is speculation that a summons for Chun may be imminent. Chun denied the allegations during a police inquiry in Dec. last year, saying there was no illegal receipt of money from the Unification Church.