According to Lee’s office on Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has demanded an investigation into the alleged illicit connections between lawmakers and a religious organization.
According to a statement from the presidential office, Lee’s order should be applicable “no matter whether (a politician is from the) ruling or opposition party, a high or low position.”
The religious group was not mentioned in the statement.
In a livestreamed cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee stated that he had given his ministers instructions to think about ways to “disband religious groups that meddle in politics and do strange things with illegal funds.” He also inquired about the differences between Japan’s and South Korea’s procedures for doing so.
The president has not targeted any specific religious group, according to Lee’s spokeswoman on Tuesday.
However, other lawmakers have claimed that Lee’s remarks seemed to be aimed at the Unification Church, whose leader Han Hak-ja is presently on trial for allegedly bribing former first lady Kim Keon Hee in exchange for political favors.
Following Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law in December 2024, special prosecutors launched a series of investigations into the ousted president and his wife, Kim.
Han has denied any misconduct.
According to South Korean media, a former Unification Church official informed a special prosecutor that members of Lee’s ruling party also received funding from the Unification Church.
The Yonhap News Agency said on Tuesday that police have been requested to look into any interactions between members of the ruling party and the Unification Church.
On Wednesday, a representative for the Unification Church did not immediately respond.
In March, the Unification Church was dissolved by a Tokyo district court in Japan. Since then, the matter has been appealed.
