PPP Urges President Lee to Accept Opposition-Nominated Special Counsel for Unification Church Probe

The People Power Party (PPP) is intensifying pressure on the government and ruling party over allegations of cash payments from the Unification Church. Choi Bo-yoon, chief spokesperson for the PPP, demanded Wednesday that President Lee Jae-myung accept a special counsel nominated by the opposition to investigate what the party calls the "Unification Church-Democratic Party Gate."

"The allegations of cash payments from the Unification Church have reached a stage where they can no longer be dismissed as individual misconduct by Democratic Party figures," Choi said in a statement.

The spokesperson pointed to ruling party figures named in the allegations, including former Oceans and Fisheries Minister Jeon Jae-soo and former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. "All of them have close political ties to President Lee Jae-myung. This matter is now clearly expanding into a 'Unification Church-Democratic Party Gate,'" Choi said.

"Yet the Democratic Party and the Presidential Office continue to say this is 'not a matter of concern' and 'merely a political attack,'" Choi added. "The public is asking just one question: who among the Democratic Party figures received money, when, through what channels, and why the investigation has stalled."

Choi argued that the investigation process itself is "an even more serious problem." She noted that Special Counsel Min Joong-ki obtained specific testimony from Yoon Young-ho, former global headquarters chief of the Unification Church, stating that cash was provided to Democratic Party figures, yet failed to launch an investigation for months.

"In contrast, the same testimony was used as key evidence for investigating opposition lawmakers and seeking their arrest warrants," Choi said. "Applying completely different standards to the same testimony makes it difficult to avoid criticism that this is selective investigation and political manipulation by Special Counsel Min."

Choi emphasized that "it has already been confirmed that the existing investigative system cannot uncover the truth," adding that "only a special counsel nominated by the opposition can reveal the truth without deferring to those in power."

"President Lee Jae-myung should not stop at general statements like 'investigate strictly regardless of party affiliation or position,'" Choi said. "He must immediately remove from duty those suspected of involvement in the Unification Church-Democratic Party Gate and clearly accept the introduction of an opposition-nominated special counsel."