Head of new joint investigative team on Unification Church, Shincheonji vows to pursue 'truth based on evidence'

Kim Tae-hoon, the head of the newly formed joint prosecution-police investigative team, said he would “pursue the truth strictly based on evidence, not the rank or status of those involved, without being swayed.”

Kim Tae-hoon, the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office and head of the joint prosecution-police investigative team probing the Unification Church and Shincheonji Church, speaks to reporters outside of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 8. [YONHAP]

Kim Tae-hoon, the head of the newly formed joint prosecution-police investigative team and chief prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, said on Thursday that he would “pursue the truth strictly based on evidence, not the rank or status of those involved, without being swayed,” as he reported for his first day at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.

The joint investigation team, comprising 47 personnel dispatched from both the prosecution and police, will focus on looking into two allegations: the Unification Church’s suspected provision of illicit funds to politicians, and religious sect Shincheonji Church’s alleged election interference through mass party enrollment.

The team will include two senior prosecutors, Kim Jeong-hwan and Lee Han-ul, and six junior prosecutors. Three of the junior prosecutors have experience in anticorruption investigations, and the other three specialize in public security cases.

The Unification Church investigation is now in its third phase, following earlier, separate probes by a special counsel team and a special police unit under the National Office of Investigation (NOI), each looking into former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The ongoing investigation will continue investigating claims and evidence previously pursued by the NOI.

There are two allegations involving the Unification Church: that it provided money to politicians to request favorable action on its internal issues, and that it used church funds to make illegal political donations. The police had been handling the two allegations through separate teams.

The bribery allegation centers on statements made by Youn Young-ho, the former director of the church’s world headquarters. The suspects include Chun Jae-soo, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former minister of oceans and fisheries; Lim Jong-sung, a former Democratic Party lawmaker; and Kim Kyu-hyun, a former United Future Party lawmaker.

The Unification Church’s main compound, Cheon Jeong Gung, in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi, is seen on Dec. 15, 2025. [NEWS1]

The joint team must now verify not just the receipt of funds but also whether the Unification Church pursued specific favors in return, such as the Korea-Japan undersea tunnel project, and whether there was quid pro quo.

Investigators are expected to focus on corroborating Youn's testimony and tracking high-end items that he claimed were given as bribes.

The Shincheonji probe is expected to initially focus on mass party enrollment, a claim first made by former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo.

Hong claimed in 2021 that Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee told him that some 100,000 members of the sect had joined the People Power Party as full members during the 2021 presidential primary to support then-candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. He also alleged that Yoon, once president, blocked police raids on the sect twice in return for that support.

Kim Tae-hoon, the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office and head of the joint prosecution-police investigative team probing the Unification Church and Shincheonji Church, speaks to reporters outside of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 8. [NEWS1]

That the joint investigation explicitly included election interference through mass party registration as a target suggests Hong’s claims are a key focus. Unlike the Unification Church case, parts of which were already investigated by the Kim Keon Hee special counsel team, this is the first probe into Shincheonji on these allegations.

The investigative team will determine its approach based on existing allegations and materials already collected.

“We're still reviewing the order of priorities,” Kim Tae-hoon said. “We're not fully prepared yet in terms of facilities or logistics.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG JIN-HO,JO SU-BIN [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]