Seoul: South Korea's oceans and fisheries minister has become the first notable figure to resign under President Lee Jae Myung's Cabinet, amidst an ongoing investigation into the Unification Church, Yonhap News reported. Chun Jae-soo stepped down in light of allegations of receiving bribes from the religious group, although he has denied these accusations, describing them as "completely groundless."
According to Anadolu Agency, Chun stated, "It is a case based on falsehoods, but I believe it will be appropriate for me to step down from my post as oceans minister." He emphasized his stance by calling the allegations "an absurd but completely groundless controversy."
A former Unification Church official has accused Chun of being among several influential figures linked to the ruling Democratic Party who purportedly received money and other gifts from the church during the presidency of Moon Jae-in. President Lee accepted Chun's resignation, marking him as the first minister to exit the Cabinet since Lee's tenure began in June.
Additionally, a special counsel team announced that a former Unification Church official involved in a corruption case identified five politicians from both ruling and opposition parties as recipients of funds from the church. The revelation follows President Lee's directive to investigate alleged connections between religious groups and political figures.
In a related move, a special counsel on Tuesday referred a case to the police concerning alleged ties between the Unification Church and Democratic Party lawmakers. A former church official, linked to a corruption scandal involving the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is anticipated to name lawmakers who allegedly received funds from the church during a final trial hearing.
Furthermore, Yun Young-ho, ex-head of the church's global headquarters, is accused of giving luxury gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022 for business favors.
In Japan, the head of the Unification Church's Japan branch, Tomihiro Tanaka, resigned on Tuesday, apologizing for the group's donation solicitation practices. His resignation followed the formation of a third-party committee in October to address compensation claims from victims. The departure occurred after the Tokyo High Court concluded hearings on a dissolution order against the organization.
The church's donation practices came under scrutiny after the 2022 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by Tetsuya Yamagami, whose mother had contributed extensively to the church. Since 1980, the church has collected approximately 20.4 billion yen ($130 million) from over 1,500 individuals. The Unification Church, labeled a cult, was founded in 1954 by staunch anti-communists in South Korea and was dissolved in Japan in March this year.