Pastor Lee Young-hoon of Yoido Full Gospel Church Invited to Trump's Inauguration Ceremony and Visits the U.S.

Strengthening Faith Networks with Evangelical Advisor Paula White and Trump Jr.

Pastor Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, is scheduled to visit the United States from the 19th to the 23rd to attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President Donald Trump, which will be held in Washington DC on the 20th (local time).

Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon of Yoido Full Gospel Church.
[Photo by Yoido Full Gospel Church]

According to religious circles on the 15th, during this visit, Pastor Lee plans to meet with Pastor Paula White, who served as the chairperson of the evangelical advisory board during the first term of the Trump administration, as well as Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Trump.

Pastor Lee is known to have maintained a faith-based network with Pastor Paula White, who is called President Trump’s “spiritual mentor,” and Trump Jr.

During this visit, he is expected to further strengthen these relationships through meetings with them. Pastor Lee’s invitation to the inauguration was extended by the Former Members of Congress (FMC) association.

Yoido Full Gospel Church has closely interacted with FMC members over the past five to six years by inviting about 100 FMC members and conducting programs to tour Korean churches and industries.

On August 25, 2024, Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President-elect Donald Trump, visited Korea and gave a testimony during a worship service at Yoido Full Gospel Church.
[Photo by Full Gospel Church YouTube]

The special connection between Trump Jr. and Yoido Full Gospel Church is also drawing attention due to this inauguration invitation. Previously, Trump Jr. visited Yoido Full Gospel Church twice in April and August of last year, and during his August visit, he testified that “God’s hand protected my father” while referring to an assassination attempt on his father, President Trump.

Kim Jang-hwan, senior pastor of Protestantism and chairman of Far East Broadcasting Company, was invited to President Trump’s inauguration but reportedly gave up attending due to scheduling conflicts after deciding to attend the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter held at the National Cathedral in Washington DC on the 9th.

Meanwhile, although President Trump maintained a close relationship with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) by sending a congratulatory message for the 100th birth anniversary of the late Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, during his 2020 term, it is reported that no members of the Family Federation attended this inauguration.