Unification Church and Shincheonji Joint Investigation Headquarters Established: 47 Prosecutors and Police Involved

[Financial News] The Joint Investigation Headquarters on Religious-Political Corruption has been established, comprising a total of 47 members: 25 prosecutors and 22 police officers.
On the 6th, prosecutors and police announced the formation of the Joint Investigation Headquarters on Religious-Political Corruption at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and other locations. This initiative aims to swiftly and thoroughly investigate allegations that religious groups, including the Unification Church and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), have engaged in political collusion and intervention.
The headquarters will be led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, with a Deputy Chief Prosecutor and a Senior Superintendent serving as deputy heads. The team, consisting of 25 prosecutors and 22 police officers, will be based at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and will proceed with the investigation without delay.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters plans to investigate multiple allegations that religious organizations, such as the Unification Church and Shincheonji, have exerted political influence by leveraging their organizational structures, finances, and human networks. Religious-political collusion potentially violates the constitutional principle of separation of church and state and poses a significant threat to the future of democracy. Prosecutors and police are committed to a thorough investigation.
Specifically, the investigation will focus on allegations such as providing money or valuables to political figures, intervening in elections through membership in specific parties, and any other suspicions related to religious-political collusion.
Prosecutors will be responsible for investigations, indictments, warrant reviews, and legal analysis of transferred cases. The police will handle ongoing investigations, warrant applications, and the transfer of cases.
hwlee@fnnews.com Lee Hwan-joo Reporter