Special Prosecutor Seizes Former Commissioner Yoon Heegeun's PC in Unification Church Investigation Cover-Up Probe

On April 21, it was confirmed that the second comprehensive special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Changyoung and tasked with investigating unresolved suspicions following the three major special investigations (the insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and the death of the Marine), conducted a search and seizure of the former National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun's past work PC in connection with allegations of the Unification Church's overseas gambling probe being covered up.

The special prosecutor team is examining suspicions that, although the police had received intelligence that Han Hakja, the president of the Unification Church, and other executives had engaged in gambling worth approximately 60 billion KRW at overseas casinos, they did not pursue an investigation. Instead, it is alleged that the intelligence was leaked to figures such as Kwon Sungdong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, which ultimately led to the investigation being halted.

Yoon Heegeun, former Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, attending the plenary session of the Public Administration and Security Committee held at the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Assemblyman Kwon, who has been implicated in allegations of collusion with the Unification Church, was indicted on charges of receiving 100 million KRW in illegal political funds from the organization. He was sentenced to two years in prison in the first trial and is currently undergoing an appeal.

Regarding the suspicions of the investigation being covered up, the special prosecutor team conducted searches and seizures the previous day at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency, and the Chuncheon Police Station.

During the search and seizure at the National Police Agency, the special prosecutor team reportedly examined the work PC of former Commissioner Yoon to determine whether he was involved in the allegations. At the time the police received intelligence related to the overseas gambling in June 2022, Yoon was serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency. He was later promoted to Commissioner in August of the same year, immediately after the inauguration of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and served a two-year term.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.