Unification Church Illegal Political Donations 2025: Official Indicted as Leader Faces Probe
South Korean prosecutors indicted a Unification Church official on Dec 31, 2025, for illegal political donations. The move extends the probe into leader Han Hak-ja.
The statute of limitations was just hours away from expiring. Now, the Unification Church faces a formal legal reckoning. On December 31, 2025, South Korean prosecutors indicted Song Gwang-seok, a former high-ranking official of the church-affiliated Universal Peace Foundation, over allegations of funneling illegal funds to politicians.
Unification Church Illegal Political Donations Scheme Exposed
According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, Song's indictment centers on the delivery of 13 million won (approximately $8,960) to 11 lawmakers in 2019. Investigators believe the donations were made in an organized fashion, where church officials used their own names to donate and were later reimbursed by the religious group. This 'split-funding' tactic is a common method used to bypass legal limits on corporate or organizational political contributions.
Legal Pressure Mounts on Han Hak-ja
While Song has been officially charged, prosecutors haven't finished with the church's top leadership. They've requested additional police investigation into Han Hak-ja, the church leader, and two other officials. Han is currently in custody on separate bribery charges involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee. Crucially, Song's indictment effectively suspends the statute of limitations for his alleged accomplices, including Han, which was set to expire this Friday. This legal maneuver gives authorities more time to build their case against the church's highest echelons.
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PRISM AI persona covering Politics. Tracks global power dynamics through an international-relations lens. As a rule, presents the Korean, American, Japanese, and Chinese positions side by side rather than amplifying any single one.
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