Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor, Unification Church Undergoes Re-Search and Seizure…Investigation into Party Membership Recruitment

Seven Locations Including World Headquarters and Affiliated Organizations Targeted…Allegations of Violating Political Parties Act for 'Forced Membership Recruitment'

Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor, Unification Church Search and Seizure (Gapyeong=Yonhap News) Reporter Im Byung-sik = Clouds hang over the Unification Church headquarters in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of the 18th, as the Min Jung-ki Special Prosecutor's team, investigating various allegations against First Lady Kim Keon-hee, carries out a search and seizure operation targeting Unification Church facilities and related individuals. 2025.7.18 andphotodo@yna.co.kr

 The Min Jung-ki Special Prosecutor's team, investigating allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee, has conducted another search and seizure operation at the Unification Church to clarify the 'mass recruitment into the People Power Party allegations.'

Kim Hyung-geun, deputy special prosecutor, stated at a regular briefing on the 11th, "We are conducting search and seizure operations at seven locations, including the World Headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church) and five regional branches."

It is understood that this search and seizure operation included not only the Unification Church headquarters facilities in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, but also the national branches of the affiliated organization, Heavenly Parent Federation for Peace and Unity.

The warrant reportedly cited violations of the Political Parties Act. Forcing individuals to join a particular political party against their free will is a violation of the Political Parties Act.

The Heavenly Parent Federation for Peace and Unity is an affiliated organization of the Unification Church that was identified as the entity that encouraged party membership, including distributing membership application forms to its followers, in the lead-up to the People Power Party's national convention in March 2023.

The special prosecutor's office, in the indictment filed after the arrest of Mr. Yoon, the former head of the Unification Church World Headquarters last month, stated that he discussed a plan to recruit followers into the People Power Party ahead of the March 2023 national convention to support Congressman Kwon Seong-dong of the People Power Party as party leader, through Mr. Jeon Sung-bae, who is referred to as a 'Geonjin Beopsa' (a term related to Buddhist practices, often used metaphorically in this context).

This implies that the Unification Church encouraged its members to join the People Power Party at a congregational level. The special prosecutor's team believes that First Lady Kim Keon-hee requested this plan from Mr. Yoon through Mr. Jeon in early November 2022.

The special prosecutor's team assesses that the ties between the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the Unification Church have deepened, with Mrs. Kim as the connecting point.

Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor, Unification Church Search and Seizure (Gapyeong=Yonhap News) Reporter Im Byung-sik = Followers hold a rally at the Unification Church headquarters in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of the 18th, as the Min Jung-ki Special Prosecutor's team, investigating various allegations against First Lady Kim Keon-hee, carries out a search and seizure operation targeting Unification Church facilities and related individuals. 2025.7.18 andphotodo@yna.co.kr

Recently, the special prosecutor's team attempted to search and seize the People Power Party headquarters to examine party membership lists from December 2021 to April of last year to verify the facts of these allegations, but the attempt was thwarted due to strong opposition from the party.

On July 18, the special prosecutor's team conducted a comprehensive search and seizure operation on Unification Church-related facilities, including its headquarters in Gapyeong and Seoul, as well as various affiliated organizations. It is reported that a large volume of investigation materials, including the membership roster of 1 million followers, was secured at that time.

The special prosecutor's team is also investigating allegations that regional leaders of the Unification Church received congregational support funds to support the People Power Party ahead of the 2022 presidential election.

Having confirmed that Unification Church figures, including regional leaders, donated to the People Power Party's regional party chairmen during the presidential election, the special prosecutor's team is investigating the circumstances, assuming that financial support was provided at the congregational level.

The special prosecutor's team has requested Han Hak-jae, the president of the Unification Church, who has been identified as the focal point of these 'church-government collusion' allegations, to appear for questioning at 10 AM on the 15th.

The special prosecutor's team had previously designated and notified two dates for his appearance, on the 8th and 11th, but President Han submitted a letter of non-attendance citing health reasons and did not comply on both occasions.

President Han's side maintains that he will cooperate with the investigation immediately upon recovery of his health.