Former Unification Church Director Yun Youngho: "Both Yoon and Lee Camps Contacted Me Before 2022 Election Over Pence Meeting"

Yun Youngho: "President Han Decided to Support Yoon"
Church Official: "An Attempt to Drag Others Down"
"Yoon's Camp Confirmed Attendance, Lee's Camp Requested Remote Participation...
Two Democratic Party Campaign Members Acted as a Bridge"

Former Unification Church World Headquarters Director Yun Youngho appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on July 30 for a warrant hearing regarding allegations of 'Geomjin Sorcerer Solicitation.' Photo by Yonhap News

Yun Youngho, former Director of the Unification Church World Headquarters, claimed that he was contacted by both former President Yoon Suk-yeol and then-presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung of the Democratic Party regarding their attendance at the "Korean Peninsula Peace Summit" hosted by the Unification Church ahead of the 2022 presidential election.

Yun made this statement as a witness during the trial held on December 16 before the 27th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Woo Inseong), where Unification Church President Han Hakja and her close aide, Chief Secretary Jeong, are facing charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

This comment arose during the cross-examination of former Unification Church Vice President Lee Hyunyoung, who was also identified as a key figure in lobbying politicians from both ruling and opposition parties alongside Yun Youngho.

When the special prosecutor's team asked, "Did Yun Youngho say three to four weeks before the presidential election that 'it would be good if Y (referring to former President Yoon) wins' and that 'President Han instructed to support Yoon Suk-yeol'?" Lee Hyunyoung responded, "That was Yun Youngho's attempt to drag others down with him. He was trying to use 'True Mother' (Han Hakja) as justification."

In response, Yun Youngho said, "Talking about dragging others down and such-it's like a comedy show," and insisted that he did not have the authority to make decisions.

He added, "Since former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to speak at the event, both Yoon Suk-yeol's and Lee Jaemyung's camps reached out to us. Yoon's camp contacted us to say he would attend, while Lee's camp said he was in Jeju and suggested attending virtually."

He continued, "To the best of my memory, Lee's camp said it would be difficult for him to attend in person and proposed having a conversation with Pence at a later date. Two members from the Democratic Party's campaign, who have recently been in the news, acted as intermediaries, but I will not disclose their names."

On the day of the event, Yoon Suk-yeol, then the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, met with former Vice President Pence at the Lotte Signiel Hotel in Seoul for a discussion.