The joint prosecution-police task force investigating alleged collusion between religious organizations and politicians has closed its investigation into Rep. Jeon Jae-su of the Democratic Party of Korea, who faced allegations of receiving money from the Unification Church, without referring the case for indictment. The People Power Party immediately pushed back, calling for a special counsel investigation into the Unification Church to uncover the truth.
The task force announced Wednesday that it had concluded investigations into several cases: bribery and political fund law violations by Rep. Jeon; political fund law violations by former Democratic Party Rep. Im Jong-seong and former United Future Party Rep. Kim Gyu-hwan; and bribery and political fund law violations by Han Hak-ja, president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church). The task force said it closed the cases either because the statute of limitations had expired or because evidence supporting the allegations was insufficient.
The task force explained that it reached a "no charges" conclusion because the statute of limitations—the period during which prosecution can be initiated—had passed, eliminating prosecutorial authority, and because evidence to substantiate the allegations was insufficient.
The announcement came just one day after Rep. Jeon was confirmed as the Democratic Party's candidate for Busan mayor in the June local elections. However, a task force official said the timing was "not related to the election schedule."
The People Power Party responded sharply, saying "it seems the task force has decided to serve as Rep. Jeon's campaign chairman." PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the decision, stating, "The moment Rep. Jeon was confirmed as the candidate, the task force announced the case closure. The administration itself is rolling out the red carpet for him."
Floor Leader Song Eon-seok invoked a well-known Korean phrase meaning "justice for the powerful, punishment for the powerless," saying, "If you're part of our administration, you're innocent; if you're not, you're guilty."
Calls for a special counsel investigation also emerged. Rep. Kwak Gyu-taek, chief spokesperson for the PPP floor leadership, emphasized, "The task force's decision clearly demonstrates why true judicial justice is needed. There is only one path forward: a politically neutral special counsel investigation into the Unification Church."
