Overview
- Officers searched Cheonjeonggung, the church’s Seoul headquarters and eight other locations, including former oceans minister Chun Jae-soo’s National Assembly office, the homes of two ex-lawmakers, the Seoul Detention Center and the special counsel’s office.
- Han Hak-ja was formally identified as a suspect in alleged payments to politicians from both parties, and former church executive Yun Young-ho was also booked in the case.
- Police previously booked Chun, ex-DP lawmaker Lim Jong-seong and ex-United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan; warrants reference cash transfers and luxury watches dating to 2018–2020, which the accused deny.
- Investigators are securing accounting ledgers and tracking valuables, focusing on alleged luxury gifts and cash flows, including a 28 billion won cache earlier found in Han’s safe during a separate raid.
- The probe has intensified partisan clashes over calls for a new special prosecutor, even as police examine the prior special counsel’s handling of the case and the church issues a public apology and pledges neutrality and governance reforms.