Kim Taehun Appointed Head of Joint Prosecutors-Police Investigation Team on Unification Church Collusion Allegations (Comprehensive)

A total of 47 members... Comprehensive investigation into Unification Church and Shincheonji's political lobbying
Prosecution Deputy Head Im Sambin, Police Deputy Head Ham Youngwook... To be established at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office

Taehun, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, is responding to a lawmaker's question at the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on October 23 last year. Photo by Yonhap News

A joint investigation team of prosecutors and police, consisting of 47 members, has been established to investigate allegations of collusion between the Unification Church and Shincheonji with political and religious figures. The team will be headed by Kim Taehun, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (30th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute). The joint investigation team plans to conduct a comprehensive investigation into lobbying allegations involving the Unification Church and Shincheonji in the political sphere.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced on January 6 that it had formed the joint investigation team with Chief Prosecutor Kim as its head. Im Sambin, Director of Public Investigation Planning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (Deputy Chief Prosecutor level), and Ham Youngwook, Chief of the Investigation Division at the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency (Senior Superintendent), were appointed as deputy heads. The joint investigation team will be established at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

From the prosecution, 25 members will be dispatched, including Chief Prosecutor Kim, Deputy Head Im, two chief prosecutors, six prosecutors, and fifteen investigators. From the police, Deputy Head Ham, two senior superintendents (Im Jihwan, Chief of Yongin West Police Station, and Park Changhwan, Head of the Major Crimes Investigation Division at the National Investigation Headquarters), and nineteen investigators at the rank of inspector or below will be dispatched, totaling 22 members.

Previously, President Lee Jaemyung instructed on December 30 last year to consider establishing a joint investigation team of prosecutors and police, separate from the 'Unification Church special prosecutor' investigation. President Lee stated, "Regardless of political affiliation or rank, everyone should be investigated to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable so that such incidents do not occur again." He added, "We cannot simply wait for the special prosecutor, so whether the police and prosecutors form a joint investigation team or conduct separate investigations, action must be taken."

Chief Prosecutor Kim previously served as Director of Policy Planning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office under the Moon Jaein administration, where he was involved in designing adjustments to the investigative authority between prosecutors and police. As Director of the Prosecutors' Affairs Division at the Ministry of Justice, he oversaw disciplinary measures against then Prosecutor General Yoon Sukyeol. After transferring to the position of 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, he led the dedicated investigation team for the Daejang-dong development case.

Under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, he was demoted to a high prosecutor, but following the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, he was promoted to chief prosecutor in the first round of high-level personnel appointments. In November last year, when the prosecution leadership decided to drop the appeal in the Daejang-dong development corruption case, Chief Prosecutor Kim, along with Im Eunjung, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, did not sign the statement by district chiefs requesting an explanation from Acting Prosecutor General Noh Manseok regarding the decision to drop the appeal.