Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. president, has been confirmed to have received $2 million (approximately 2.54 billion KRW) in speaking fees from the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) after leaving office.
According to detailed income statements released by Trump’s team on the 13th (local time), he gave speeches at two events hosted by the Unification Church after his presidency and received this amount of money.
In the United States, presidential candidates are required to disclose their income within 30 days after registering as a candidate or by May 25 every year. After two extensions, Trump disclosed his first income statement on April 14.
At the 'Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference' organized by a Unification Church-related organization last year, Trump criticized North Korea’s successive missile provocations as a "disappointing sign."
He further emphasized, "North Korea must denuclearize quickly and urgently," adding, "Denuclearization is not the greatest risk for North Korea but its greatest opportunity."
In a recorded lecture at a Unification Church event in 2021, he stated, "My proudest achievement during my presidency was contributing to building a new path for a brighter future between South and North Korea."
In the recently disclosed amended statement, Trump revealed detailed income of approximately $1.2 billion, including earnings from golf courses and overseas speaking fees. Notably, while the previous report stated he earned $201 from a golf resort in Ireland, the amended version disclosed that he received 6.2 million dollars (approximately 7.874 billion KRW) in euros.
Additionally, he earned $1.2 million from advertisements on the social media platform Truth Social, which he founded, and $2.5 million from special commentary at the boxing match between Evander Holyfield and Vito Belfort held in 2021 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Melania Trump, the former president’s wife, also reported $1.2 million in speaking fees.
The Washington Post (WP) reported, "The recently disclosed amended statement is more detailed than the previously released one," but noted that the reason for such specific income disclosure remains unclear.
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