Unification Church issues apology for recent scandals, distances from former director
Published: 12 Dec. 2025, 13:48
![Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, leaves the Seoul Central District Court on Sept. 22 after attending a hearing to review her arrest warrant. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/12/53848066-8e0a-4a48-a14f-48d1a9ca1389.jpg)
Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, leaves the Seoul Central District Court on Sept. 22 after attending a hearing to review her arrest warrant. [YONHAP]
The Unification Church issued an official apology to the public over its alleged political ties and announced plans to reform its operations on Friday.
However, the church claimed that the bribery charges against former world headquarters director Yun Young-ho were a “personal deviation.”
“We deeply bow our heads in apology for causing great disappointment and concern to the public,” said Song Yong-cheon, head of the Unification Church’s Korean Association, in a statement released on Friday.
“Our church has never, at an organizational level, colluded with political power or supported any specific political party with the intent of gaining advantage,” wrote Song. “What the church truly pursues is the harmony of families, society, the nation and humanity, and it is unrelated to activities supporting or opposing specific parties.”
“Nevertheless, we failed to ensure that such principles were properly enforced in the actual management of the organization,” the statement went on. “The actions of former director Yun, which recently caused a stir due to courtroom testimony, were his own unilateral deviation, but our failure to detect and prevent it is a matter of organizational responsibility.”
“We will take this incident as a lesson and place the restoration of trust with Korean society and the promotion of public interest as the top priorities in the operation of the church,” the statement continued. “We will change the church’s operational methods entirely.”
Song proposed three major reforms: strictly adhering to political neutrality, establishing financial transparency and a clear governance structure and prioritizing public interest and social responsibility.
Meanwhile, Yun has been indicted and detained by special prosecutor Min Joong-ki’s team on charges of providing bribes, including to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, in relation to internal church affairs.
The special prosecutor’s team, based on Yun’s testimony in August, uncovered indications that the Unification Church provided money and valuables to both ruling and opposition lawmakers.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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