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South Korea's Minister Resigns Amid Unification Church Bribery Allegations

South Korean Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo has decided to step down following serious bribery allegations linked to the Unification Church. President Lee Jae Myung's office confirmed they will accept his resignation, which is the first from a sitting minister since Lee took office. The accusations claim Chun received luxury watches and large sums of money while he was a lawmaker, supposedly in connection with a proposed undersea tunnel to Japan. President Lee has now ordered a thorough investigation into any illegal dealings between politicians and religious groups, emphasizing it must be impartial.

Key Points: President Lee Accepts Oceans Minister Chun's Resignation Over Church Funds

  • Minister Chun offered resignation over alleged bribes from the Unification Church
  • President Lee called for a strict probe into politicians and religious groups
  • A former church official testified about gifts given to Chun for a tunnel project
  • The allegations involve luxury watches and money during the previous administration
2 min read

South Korea: Lee to accept resignation of oceans minister over allegations of getting money from Unification Church

South Korean Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo resigns amid bribery allegations from the Unification Church, marking the first cabinet departure under President Lee.

"completely groundless - Chun Jae-soo, denying the bribery allegations"

Seoul, Dec 11

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will accept the resignation of Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo, the presidential office said Thursday, after Chun offered to step down over allegations he received money from the Unification Church.

The presidential office said in a press notice that the resignation of Chun will be processed in accordance with relevant procedures.

It would mark the first resignation by an incumbent minister since Lee took office in June.

Earlier in the day, Chun tendered his resignation amid allegations that he took bribes from the Unification Church, but strongly denied them as "completely groundless."

On Wednesday, Lee called for a stern investigation into whether any politicians were involved in illegal acts with religious groups, apparently targeting those suspected of receiving illicit political funds from the Unification Church.

Lee said the investigation should be carried out "in a strict manner regardless of whether they are from the ruling or opposition parties or whether their positions are high or low," the presidential office said in a press notice, without specifying any religious group.

Chun has been named by a former Unification Church official as one of several ruling Democratic Party (DP)-affiliated people who took money and other gifts from the church during the administration of former President Moon Jae-in, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yun Young-ho, former head of the church's global headquarters, told a special counsel team in August that the church gave two luxury watches and tens of millions of won to Chun between 2018 and 2020 while requesting his help with the church's project to build an undersea tunnel connecting South Korea and Japan. Chun was a DP lawmaker at the time.

Yun's testimony only surfaced recently after he disclosed it at his trial last week, accusing the special counsel team of conducting a biased investigation focused only on the church's alleged ties to the main opposition People Power Party affiliated with former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

int/jk/

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
An undersea tunnel between South Korea and Japan? That's a massive engineering project! But the allegations of bribes around it are very serious. Luxury watches and cash... sounds all too familiar. Hope the investigation is truly impartial.
R
Rohit P
First resignation of a minister in this administration. The President saying "regardless of ruling or opposition" is a good standard, but let's see if it's actually followed. Often these investigations become political tools. 🤔
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see this from an Indian perspective. We have our own challenges with political funding and transparency. The Unification Church is a powerful group, and this case shows how religious organizations can seek influence. A cautionary tale.
V
Vikram M
The minister denies it completely. Due process must be followed. But if true, it's a clear breach of trust. Public officials must be above such dealings. Kudos to the press for bringing this to light.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, while the call for investigation is good, the timing and the fact the testimony "only surfaced recently" at a trial suggests the process isn't as clean as it should be. The former church official's accusation of a biased investigation is concerning. The system needs to be robust, not weaponized.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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