S. Korea’s special counsel raids on US military base, churches stir diplomatic dispute

Raids spark tensions over alliance with Washington and allegations of religious persecution

U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 25 voiced concerns over South Korea’s special prosecutors during a summit with President Lee Jae-myung, citing reports of church raids and U.S. military base searches — remarks that stirred controversy and pushed the investigation into the diplomatic arena.

At the Oval Office meeting with Lee, Trump said, “I heard from intel that there was a raid on churches. We’re going to talk about that later. I haven’t spoken about it yet, but when we meet — and you know — that would be too bad if that’s the case. But I did hear from intel that there was a raid on churches, closing some churches.” Earlier that day, at a signing ceremony for an executive order, Trump said he had been informed that the new South Korean government carried out harsh raids on churches and obtained information by entering a U.S. military base.

When Lee responded that “it was not the U.S. military that was investigated but rather a check on how the Korean military’s control systems inside the base functioned,” Trump replied, “I am sure it’s a misunderstanding, but you know, there is a rumor going around about churches, raiding churches.”

Trump told reporters before his summit with President Lee Jae-myung in Washington that he had heard about “very vicious raids on churches” in South Korea, and “that they even went into a U.S. military base and got information.” Analysts said Trump’s references to “very vicious raids on churches” and “that they even went into a U.S. military base and got information” pointed to two separate investigations: the special counsel investigating former President Yoon Suk-yeol on insurrection charges’s search of Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and raids last month on Yoido Full Gospel Church as part of a probe into lobbying allegations involving former 1st Marine Division commander Lim Seong-geun in connection with the death of Marine Chae Su-geun in July 2023. The Osan search immediately raised concerns of straining the U.S.–South Korea alliance, while the church raids targeting pastors Kim Jang-hwan and Lee Young-hoon drew criticism that prosecutors were infringing on religious freedom. The Unification Church also accused investigators of “religious persecution” after its headquarters was raided in a separate probe led by the special counsel investigating former first lady Kim Keon-hee.

Despite criticism that the probes were heavy-handed and politically charged, prosecutors have yet to deliver significant findings. On July 21, the insurrection special counsel raided the First Master Control Reporting Center (MCRC) at Osan Air Base to determine whether the Air Force had received cooperation requests from the Drone Operations Command during a drone mission across the border into Pyongyang between October and November of last year. Because Osan is jointly operated by U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korean Air Force, the search immediately became contentious, with critics saying it amounted to South Korean prosecutors conducting a forced investigation inside a U.S. military base. Although the raid was carried out with the approval of the South Korean commander, no relevant documents were found. The inquiry has since stalled, with political circles criticizing prosecutors for bypassing voluntary submission of documents and instead taking an action that risked diplomatic fallout.

Separately, on July 18, the special counsel investigating the Marine death raided the homes and offices of Christian leaders, including Kim Jang-hwan and Lee Young-hoon, on suspicion they had lobbied for Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division. Prosecutors said they were examining “the possibility that the Protestant church served as a lobbying channel.” But Christian leaders pushed back, saying investigators treated them like suspects based solely on call records with military officials. They argued the raids trampled on religious freedom. During the search of Lee’s home, prosecutors reportedly prevented his wife from contacting her husband or his lawyer, adding fuel to the backlash. Forty days later, prosecutors were still analyzing confiscated materials, with no key witnesses summoned for questioning.

Meanwhile, three hours before the summit, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!” Political observers said the post appeared to target investigations and trials involving figures from the previous administration, including former President Yoon Suk-yeol and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

The insurrection special counsel re-arrested Yoon on July 10, just three weeks after opening its probe, indicting him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of official duties. Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min was indicted on charges of participating in key insurrection activities. Most recently, prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Han on charges of aiding insurrection and raided the homes of former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung. Han’s warrant hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27.