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

A lawmaker has revealed that the Unification Church foundation attempted to sell assets valued at 52.3 billion won (US$39 million) while investigations into alleged corruption were ongoing under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The Foundation for the Support of HSA-UWC, managed by the Unification Church, submitted two applications to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in December and March to dispose of its land and buildings.

However, both requests were denied by the ministry. According to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party, the ministry rejected the applications due to insufficient justification for selling high-value assets without a clear plan for their repurposing during the ongoing investigation by a special counsel and police. The church's leadership is currently facing trial on charges of bribery, election interference, and embezzlement.

Jin emphasized the need for the ministry to amend its guidelines to prevent asset sales by organizations undergoing investigations, stating that the current rules grant approval authority but do not provide clear grounds for rejection.