[Editorial] All hyperlinks between Korean politicians and Unification Church have to be revealed

Allegations surrounding the Unification Church’s ties to the South Korean political world have unfold from the conservative Individuals Energy Occasion to incorporate figures in and across the ruling Democratic Occasion. 

With a member of his personal Cupboard now implicated within the scandal, President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a “thorough investigation” into suspected illicit ties between non secular teams and politicians, no matter their celebration affiliation or rank. 

It now falls to investigative authorities to disclose any and all unlawful collusion between the Unification Church and political circles. Investigators should go away no stone unturned and make no exceptions as they accomplish that. 

Yun Younger-ho, the previous head of the Unification Church’s worldwide headquarters, reportedly informed investigators with a particular probe into alleged corruption by the previous first girl in August that Chun Jae-soo, a former Democratic Occasion lawmaker who went on to function the minister of oceans and fisheries within the Lee administration, visited the church’s sacred “Cheonjeong Palace” sooner or later between 2018 and 2019, greeting church chief Han Hak-ja and receiving 30 million received in money and two luxurious watches.

In keeping with an inside church report back to Han dated Sept. 10, 2018, Chun delivered a congratulatory speech throughout a gathering with church officers and agreed to actively cooperate with the church, which is formally generally known as the Household Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Yun additionally testified in courtroom on Friday that he “supplied 4 names to the particular counsel, which included ministerial-level figures within the present administration and Nationwide Meeting lawmakers.” Nevertheless, he didn’t reveal the names of these Democratic figures in the course of the last listening to of his trial on Wednesday.

After the particular counsel crew referred to the police on Tuesday the case involving suspicions of that the Unification Church inappropriately lobbied Democratic Occasion figures, the police fashioned a particular job drive and launched an investigation. Chun has flatly denied all allegations, slamming them as “groundless.” It’s now as much as the police to convey the reality to gentle.

Constructing on earlier remarks about the opportunity of non secular teams being dissolved, the president stated Tuesday that since people face penalties for committing crimes or participating in delinquent acts, “foundations and integrated associations also needs to be dissolved in the event that they commit delinquent acts that draw public condemnation.” 

Members of spiritual foundations and any politicians, no matter celebration affiliation, ought to face extreme penalties for any unlawful solicitation or financial transactions which have occurred.
 
This case additionally sparked controversy over whether or not the particular counsel probe cherry-picked allegations to observe up on in its investigation. The particular counsel crew argues that the allegations towards Chun are past the scope of their investigation. Even when the particular counsel believes that to be the case, given the gravity of the allegations, the state of affairs wouldn’t have blown up if investigators had promptly referred the case to a different company to hold out additional investigations.
 
The choice at hand over this case involving the Democratic Occasion to the police solely after it made headlines has raised suspicions that the probe willingly turned a blind eye to allegations involving the ruling celebration. 

That being the case, we should always not permit this to undermine the general legitimacy of the particular counsel probe. The political motivations of the PPP and others criticizing the probe and making an attempt to undermine it are clear. 

The allegations towards ruling celebration politicians have to be completely investigated whereas the particular counsel crew wraps up its inquiry into the previous first girl.

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