(LEAD) Unification Church foundation sought to sell 52.3 bln won in assets during probe: lawmaker

The Unification Church foundation attempted to sell assets worth 52.3 billion won (US$39 million) while under investigation for corruption charges tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, but both applications were rejected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, according to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party.

The Foundation for the Support of HSA-UWC filed two requests in December 2022 and March 2023 to dispose of land and buildings, but both were denied due to insufficient justification for selling high-value assets without a clear plan for their use during the ongoing investigation by a special counsel and police. The church's leadership is currently facing trial on bribery, election meddling, and embezzlement charges.

The Unification Church foundation clarified that the property sought for disposal was a building housing the Segye Times printing presses, which belongs to the church. The foundation denied being the ones to initiate the disposal attempt, stating that the newspaper had proposed buying the building to ensure the stable operation of its printing facilities.

Jin Sun-mee urged the ministry to amend the guidelines to prevent asset disposals by organizations under investigation, arguing that the current rules outline approval authority but lack specific grounds for rejection. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young pledged that his ministry will incorporate reasonable guidelines in the rules while preserving the organizations' autonomy.