The Joint Investigation Headquarters on Corruption Involving Church-State Ties, which has investigated various allegations surrounding Shincheonji and the Unification Church, wrapped up its operations today (31st), 237 days after its launch.
The joint investigation body achieved notable results, including the detained indictment of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and the seizure of 26 billion won in cash from the personal safe of Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han.
Launched on January 6, the joint body investigated allegations such as Shincheonji's coercion of party membership for the People Power Party, tax evasion, and embezzlement of funds, as well as the Unification Church's illegal political fund donations and embezzlement of church funds.
As a result of the investigation, 4 people including Chairman Lee Man-hee and other Shincheonji affiliates were indicted while detained, and 12 other affiliates were indicted without detention.
Regarding the Unification Church, 16 people including leader Hak Ja Han and other affiliates were indicted without detention. Among them, summary orders were requested for 6 Unification Church officials whose involvement in the crimes was relatively minor.
The core of the investigation related to Shincheonji was the case of coercing People Power Party membership.
The joint body determined that Chairman Lee Man-hee and former General Affairs Secretary Ko Dong-han, among others, coerced church members into joining the People Power Party from 2021 to 2024 for the purpose of exercising political influence to resolve church issues.
Investigations showed that ahead of the 20th Presidential Election, the 8th local elections, the People Power Party leadership primary, and the 22nd National Assembly election, they assigned membership targets to each branch and monitored the results.
In this process, at least 56,472 church members joined the People Power Party.
After searching 56 locations including the Shincheonji General Assembly headquarters and the People Power Party headquarters, and questioning about 200 related persons, the joint body was able to bring Chairman Lee and others to trial.
In the tax evasion case, it was confirmed that between 2016 and 2020, Shincheonji operated convenience stores at 70 local churches nationwide under the names of church members in a disguised manner and managed double account books, evading 7.57 billion won in corporate tax and value-added tax.
The investigation also clarified allegations that former General Affairs Secretary Ko embezzled approximately 1.9 billion won from church finances under the guise of legal fees and received 4.1 billion won from 12 branches while pursuing a real estate business without the approval of the General Assembly.
Ahead of this year's local elections, the head of the theology department at the Northern Gyeonggi Simon Branch of Shincheonji and a supporter of a preliminary candidate who had about 30 church members join the party to influence the Democratic Party of Korea's Goyang mayoral primary were also indicted without detention on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.
The Unification Church investigation revealed systematic illegal political sponsorships and large-scale embezzlement of funds using church assets.
The joint body found that from 2019 to last year, the Unification Church illegally donated a total of 189 million won across 219 instances to 132 politicians, including members of the National Assembly, in order to realize the ideology of church-state unity and secure friendly politicians.
Three people, including former Unification Church World Headquarters Chief Yoon Young-ho, former Universal Peace Federation (IAPP) Chairman Song Kwang-seok, and former Cheonshim Won/Universal Peace Federation (UPF) official Lee, were indicted without detention on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and professional embezzlement.
Six people, including Unification Church district leaders who participated in the crime, were also summarily indicted.
Suspicions that leader Han and former Chief of Staff Jeong Won-ju directly participated in illegal political sponsorships were concluded with non-prosecution and the return of records, judged to be lacking sufficient evidence.
However, through a separate investigation into financial corruption, the authorities confirmed allegations that four people, including leader Han, former Chief of Staff Jeong, and former Headquarters Chief Yoon, embezzled approximately 10.5 billion won in church funds from 2017 to last year, leading to additional indictments.
The joint body seized 26 billion won in cash from a safe installed in leader Han's bedroom and is proceeding with property preservation procedures.
Suspicion of receiving money and valuables involving Unification Church, which arose when Jeon Jae-soo was a member of the National Assembly for Busan, was concluded with the police's decision not to forward the case and the prosecution team's return of records.
However, four former aides who destroyed PC storage devices ahead of the search and seizure were indicted without detention on charges of destroying evidence.
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