The Special Prosecutor's Team investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, led by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, conducted extensive raids today, July 21st, to uncover the truth behind suspicions of the Unification Church's involvement in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's Official Development Assistance (ODA) project in Cambodia. These simultaneous raids targeted a total of seven locations, including government agencies such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Heerim Architects & Planners, and the Unification Church's Seoul Headquarters. The Special Prosecutor's focus appears to be squarely on the alleged lobbying by the Unification Church, mediated by Jeon Seong-bae, known as 'Geonjinbeopsa'.
The special prosecution team today raided government agencies closely related to the operation of economic cooperation funds, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office for International Development Cooperation under the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and the Committee for International Development Cooperation under the Prime Minister's Office. These raids on government agencies were conducted in the form of voluntary submission of materials, indicating the special prosecution's determination to thoroughly examine the decision-making process and background of the Cambodia ODA project through the acquisition of relevant documents. Additionally, the headquarters of the Export-Import Bank of Korea and the offices of Heerim Architects & Planners were also included in the raids to secure data related to the Cambodia economic cooperation fund. The Unification Church's Seoul Headquarters, which had already undergone a raid on July 18th, was subjected to an additional raid today, reaffirming that it is a central focus of the special prosecution's investigation.
The core of this investigation is the allegation that Yoon Mo, a former key Unification Church executive and former head of its world headquarters, lobbied First Lady Kim Keon-hee through Jeon Seong-bae regarding Unification Church affairs, including the Mekong River development project in Cambodia. The special prosecution suspects that the Unification Church's lobbying may be behind the significant increase in Cambodia's External Economic Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loan limit, which was raised twice from the existing $700 million to $3 billion after the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. The suspicions are further amplified by their alignment with the period when former President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife visited Cambodia in November 2022.
Even more shocking is the discovery of evidence that in May 2022, during an internal Unification Church event, former executive Yoon stated that on March 22 of the same year, he directly met with then-President-elect Yoon and discussed the Cambodia ODA project. Furthermore, revelations that the Unification Church attempted to deliver gifts worth approximately 60 million won, including two Graff diamond necklaces, and two Chanel bags worth 10 million won each, to First Lady Kim Keon-hee through Jeon Seong-bae for the success of their lobbying efforts, are expected to significantly broaden the scope of this case.
Heerim Architects & Planners, which was raided today, is identified as another key link in this case. Previously, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office reportedly secured text messages from former executive Yoon to Jeon Seong-bae in December 2022, stating, "Let's create a big picture together," and "After I return, I'll meet with the Heerim representative as well." Based on this, the special prosecution team strongly suspects Heerim's involvement in the Cambodia project. Heerim has repeatedly sponsored First Lady Kim Keon-hee's Covana Contents in the past and faces allegations of receiving preferential treatment in contracts since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration took office, indicating deep ties with the former President and his wife. This makes it highly likely that Heerim will be investigated in connection with other cases. While Heerim explained today that the raid was conducted as a reference investigation for some overseas projects and denied receiving any preferential treatment from the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the special prosecution's investigative net is tightening. Attention is now focused on whether the special prosecution team can uncover the full extent of the lobbying allegations surrounding the Unification Church, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, and the Cambodia ODA project through these simultaneous raids.
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