Stranger Things

Dec. 12: UC Issues Apology for Recent Scandals, Distances From Former Director (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Quote"We deeply bow our heads in apology for causing great disappointment and concern to the public," said Song Yong-cheon, head of the Unification Church's Korean Association, in a statement released on Friday. "Our church has never, at an organizational level, colluded with political power or supported any specific political party with the intent of gaining advantage," wrote Song. "What the church truly pursues is the harmony of families, society, the nation and humanity, and it is unrelated to activities supporting or opposing specific parties."

Dec. 12: President Reportedly Sought Contact With NBA Star Stephen Curry Through UC (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 12: Police Charge Ex-Oceans Minister Over Alleged Money From UC (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 12: Unification Church Lobbying Three Projects Amid Strife (Chosun Daily)

Dec. 12: Police Must Put Credibility on The Line in Expanding UC Probe (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 14: Unification Church, Martial Law Probes Become Political Tit For Tat as Year Draws to Close (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 14: Mass Weddings & Political Power: Why Unification Church Keeps Resurfacing in Korean Politics (Korea Herald)

Dec. 15: Police Raid 10 Unification Church Locations Amid Bribery Allegations (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 16: UC Official Says Both Yoon & Lee Camps Contacted Him About Pence Meeting (Chosun Biz)

Dec. 18: Police Summon Ex-Oceans Minister For Questioning Over Alleged Bribes From UC (Yonhap News)

Dec. 18: Unification Church Case: Three Figures Face January 28 Verdicts (The Chosun Daily)

QuoteThe Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 27 decided to conduct the first-instance sentencing for three individuals on January 28 of next year: former first lady Kim Keon-hee, People Power Party Representative Kweon Seong-dong, and former Unification Church World President Yun Young-ho, who provided money and political funds to the two. Legal circles have referred to this as "the day of destiny."

Note to Self: Mark Calendar!

Dec. 18: UC's Main HQ Raided Again as Bribery Investigation Continues (Korea Joongang Daily)

Dec. 22: Exclusive: Unification Church Ex-Leader Approved Purchase of 500 Copies of Democratic Party Lawmaker's Book (The Chosun Daily)

Dec. 22: Editorial: DPK's new stance on Unification Church (The Korea Times)

Dec. 22: Kim Gyu-hwan sues Unification Church Figure Over False 30 million Won Claim (Chosun Biz)

Dec. 23: Police Question UC Finance Chief Over Alleged Political Lobbying Funds (Chosun Biz)

Dec. 23: Special Counsel Seeks 5-Year Term For Jeon Seong-bae Over UC Dealings (Chosun Biz)

Dec. 24: Police Raid Bulgari Korea Over UC Alleged Watch Gift to Ex-Oceans Minister (Yonhap News)

Dec. 24: Jailed Unification Church Leader Again Quizzed About Bribery Allegations (Yonhap News)

Dec. 6: Ex-Unification Church Official Admits Giving Kim Keon-hee Luxury Gifts to Obtain Favors (KBS World)

QuoteA former second-in-command at the Unification Church has testified in court that he gave luxury items to former first lady Kim Keon-hee with the expectation that her husband's administration would provide favors to the church.

At his embezzlement trial on Friday, Yun Young-ho said he tried to deliver the gifts, including a Chanel bag and a Graff necklace, to Kim in 2022 under instructions from church leader Han Hak-ja.

Dec. 8: Ex-Official Says UC Gave 'Tens of Millions of Won' to Democratic lawmakers (Hankyoreh)

Dec. 8: Ex-official of UC Claimed It Also Supported Some DP Politicians Ahead of 2022 Presidential Vote (Yonhap News)

Dec. 9: DP Faces its Own Questions for Former, Current Lawmakers' Ties to UC (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 9: Selective Investigations by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki Raise Question (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 10: Police Launch Special Unit to Probe Unification Church's Alleged Bribery of DP Lawmakers (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 10: Special Counsel Seeks Four-Year Prison Term For ex-UC Official (Yonhap News)

Dec. 11: Exclusive: Unification Church Sought Tunnel Favors from Minister Chun Jae-soo (Chosun Daily)

Dec. 11: Oceans Minister Offers to Resign Amid Allegations of Receiving Funds From UC (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Dec. 11: Special Counsel Confirms Ex-Church Official Mentioned Five Politicians Who Allegedly Received Funds from UC (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Nov. 21: Formal Trial to begin Dec. 1 For UC Leader Over Alleged bribery Linked to Ex-First Lady (Yonhap News)

Nov. 27: Kim Keon-hee's Aide Testifies on Chanel Bag False Testimony (Chosun Daily)

Nov. 28: People Power Party Rep. Kweon's Trial Concludes in Unification Church Case (The Chosun Daily)

QuoteThe trial of People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, who was indicted on charges of receiving 100 million Korean won in illegal political funds from the Unification Church, is set to conclude next month. Considering that it typically takes about one to two months from the conclusion of arguments to the sentencing, the first-instance ruling is expected to be delivered as early as January-February next year.

Rep. Kweon was arrested and indicted on charges of receiving 100 million Korean won in illegal political funds from Yun Young-ho, former global head of the Unification Church, on Jan. 5, 2022, ahead of the 20th presidential election. According to the investigation, Yun reportedly said while handing over the money, "We hope that presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol will attend a Unification Church event in February 2022," and added, "If you support the Unification Church's policies and events later, we will help with the presidential election by utilizing the votes of Unification Church followers and the organization's network."

Dec. 2: UC Leaders Charged With Financing PPP Candidates, But Donations to DP Excluded From Probe (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Nov. 21: Abe Assassin's Family had "Nothing to Eat" Because of Mother's 100mil. Donation to UC (Nippon TV -Includes Video)

Nov. 26: Yamagami: No Anger at Abe But Fear He Could Legitimize Church (Asahi Shimbun)
Note to Self: Compare timeline of events to apologists blaming the murder on lawyers who support cult victims.

QuoteDuring the trial, the defense team has emphasized that Yamagami's life went downhill after his father killed himself and his mother donated heavily to the church. Yamagami attempted suicide in 2005 on thoughts of leaving insurance money to his older brother and younger sister, left the Maritime Self-Defense Force where he was employed, and returned home.

To make a living, he obtained licenses as a real estate agent and a level-2 financial planner over the next few years. While researching the deed of his old family home, he discovered that his mother had sold the house to provide more donations to the church.

"A huge shock" came in 2015, when his brother, who had opposed their mother's faith, committed suicide. Yamagami said two people connected to the church appeared at the brother's wake and suddenly began performing a church ritual in front of the coffin. "Stop it, please leave," Yamagami told them, but to no avail, he said. "I could do nothing but watch in silence, but I thought, 'How could they do such a thing?'" he said in court.

Dec. 6: Head of Unification Church in Japan to Resign as Court Case Continues (The Japan News)

QuoteTanaka is expected to hold a press conference as early as next week to announce his resignation and explain his reasons, the sources said. He also plans to apologize to former adherents of the church and others who have complained about damage caused by large donations to the group, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, according to the sources.

Dec. 6: Japanese PM-Assassin Hearing Puts Fraudulent Religious Groups Under Scrutiny (Caliber)

Dec. 9: Unification Church's Japan Head Resigns (Nippon)

Quote"We cannot underestimate the fact that we have caused deep pain to some people," Tanaka told a news conference held at the head office in Tokyo of the controversial religious group's Japan branch. "I'm sorry."

Dec. 18: Prosecutors Demand Life Sentence For Shooter of Ex-Japan Prime Minister Abe (Mainichi Shimbun)

2025

The following mention of an event at The Washington Times building caught my eye, and I thought it suitable for this thread. Also, the title of Dr. for Mrs. Moon is interesting because it's false. She has some honorary degrees - one of course from the university Moon founded, but the title of Dr. is reserved for those with earned Ph.Ds. One very small cog in the cult-of-personality machine:

Oct. 20: Muslim Women Raise Global Alarm Over Detention of Faith Leader Dr. Moon (The National Law Review/American Muslim & Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council)

QuoteAt an interfaith prayer and solidarity gathering held at the Washington Times building in Washington, D.C., Anila Ali, President of AMMWEC, and Zeba Zebunnesa, AMMWEC Executive Board Member and Peace Ambassador joined Dr. Michael Jenkins, President, Universal Peace Federation (UPF) North America, along with other faith leaders from Sikh, Christian and Jewish communities to pray for Dr. Moon's release and call attention to her case.

A Washington Times mention caught my eye from this UC Facebook page, called The Monarch Report:

Dec. 20: In December 2025, Pastor Mark Burns—a prominent U.S. evangelical leader and spiritual advisor to President Trump—completed his third fact-finding mission to South Korea with Michael Jenkins, President of The Washington Times Foundation and Universal Peace Federation (UPF).

The delegation met with detained religious figures, including Dr. Hak Ja Han of the Unification Church and Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Segero Church, both held following raids targeting multiple religious organizations.

Jan. 18, 2019: Washington Times Corp. Founding Chairman Bo-hi Pak Dies (The Washington Times)

QuoteBo-hi Pak, the founding chairman of The Washington Times Corp., who brought the flagship newspaper into existence in 1982 and who spent much of his life engaged in global diplomacy and peacemaking activities with Times' founders Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han Moon, died in Korea Jan. 12. He was 89. Lt. Col. Pak was the English translator for the Rev. Moon. He was at the evangelist's side at his large public speeches in the United States as well as many of the countless meetings Rev. Moon held with Unification Church members, leaders and guests.

Note: His kidnapping was not mentioned. Personally, if I survived a kidnapping by some Moonies, I'd want it mentioned in my obituary.

May 4, 2020: Dear Beloved True Mother, The Only Begotten Daughter (Family Fed - A Letter to Hak-ja Han)

QuoteAlso, about two years ago, you greeted the members of The Washington Times Fact-Finding Tour to Japan at Tokyo Hotel. As soon as you received a flower from the former director of the CIA and his wife, True Mother asked them, "Do you know who I am?" and you told them, "I am the Only Begotten Daughter."

Aug. 10. 2022: Unification Church Pushes Back Against 'Abusive' Media Reports in Wake of Shinzo Abe Assassination (The Washington Times/Internet Archive)

Quote"We strongly condemn the fake news and abusive language disseminated by a heartless media, which as hate speech, encourages religious discrimination, undermines the rights of individuals and, if anything, violates people's freedom of religion," he said.

Note: Actually, the above is quite a good article. I included the above quote as it reminded me of a related article.

For articles betweem 2013 and 2018 if I should find some worth posting...

Feb. 11, 2013: The Washington Times Takes a Giant Step–Backwards (Columbia Journalism Review)

QuoteBut while some conservative leaders are courting minority groups, one of the movement's ideological lodestars is taking a hard turn in the other direction. Last month, The Washington Times tapped Wesley Pruden, its one-time editor in chief, who was pushed out amid allegations that he allowed racism to fester in the newsroom, to run its Commentary section. Pruden's return–part of a wide-ranging shakeup following the death of the Times's founder–is a troubling sign for the opinion pages, long a key pipeline for conservative ideas and a training ground for right-of-center pundits.

Under Pruden's leadership, from 1992 to 2008, the Times became a forum for the racialist hard right, including white nationalists, neo-Confederates, and anti-immigrant scare mongers (all of which the Southern Poverty Law Center and The Nation magazine have documented at length). Pruden's own column, Pruden on Politics, was occasionally tinged with racial animus, too. In 2005, for instance, he lambasted the Senate for succumbing to "manufactured remorse" and passing a resolution of apology for blocking anti-lynching laws during the Jim Crow era.

Many Times insiders fear his return will stain the paper's image, especially in the current political climate. "Its a huge blow to the influence and credibility of the paper," says a senior Times official who worked closely with Pruden during his earlier reign. ...

One flashpoint was Arnaud de Borchgrave, a decorated former Newsweek correspondent who had served as the Times's editor in chief from 1985 to 1991. (He remains an editor at large). In mid 2011, Decker's staff discovered that the veteran journalist, who writes a weekly Times column, was lifting passages verbatim or almost verbatim from the work of other writers. Decker repeatedly alerted McDevitt and the rest of the executive team to the problem. In one particularly pointed email, he warned that de Borchgrave's "outright plagiarism" and "lack of respect for the most basic journalistic ethics" was "putting the reputation of The Washington Times brand and the individual professional careers of TWT journalists at risk." He added, "Action needs to be taken to protect this institution from further harm." Still, de Borchgrave was kept on. ...

From his new perch, Jackson quickly began altering the Times's political coverage. According to The Washington Post's Erik Wemple, at one point he demanded that the paper run a story about the Benghazi affair on page A1 every day. Times insiders

Sept. 3, 2012: Unification Church Leaders Vow to Complete Rev. Moon's Mission (The Washington Post)

QuoteThree former Times executives, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they fear reprisal from church leaders, said the paper has lost more than $2 billion since its founding in 1981 and never made a profit in a quarter or month.

Three other executives who remained loyal to Moon bought the Times back from Preston Moon, the Seattle-based son who has been at odds with his siblings, for $1 in 2010 and have sought to revive it as a conservative voice focused on political coverage.

Sept. 4, 2012: Sun Myung Moon's Death Leaves Conservative Newspaper at a Crossroads (US News)

Nov. 29, 2012: Washington Times Editor Demanded Daily A1 Benghazi Coverage (The Washington Post)

QuoteGrumblings started spilling from the Washington Times this month. New editor David Jackson, claimed the chatter, had demanded that Benghazi coverage be placed on Page A1 of the paper every day. Decisions on newspaper-article placement customarily take place on a day-to-day basis, based on the journalism at hand -- not via prospective dictate. "Totally arbitrary," spat a source who was forced to deal with the mandate.

Totally necessary, Jackson might well respond. The Washington Times editorial boss, after all, is proud of his directive. "I told them I wanted it on the front page every day. And until we get all the questions answered, I want us to be one of the news media [outlets] that will not blink on that story," says Jackson. "I make no apologies for that."

December 4, 2012: James R. Whelan, founding editor and publisher of the Washington Times, dies at 79 (The Washington Post)

QuoteJames R. Whelan, the founding editor and publisher of the Washington Times who became a fierce critic of the newspaper's Unification Church owners after his abrupt dismissal, died Dec. 1 at his home in Miami. He was 79. ...In public remarks after his ouster, Mr. Whelan said the paper was "firmly in the hands of top officials of the . . . Unification Church Movement" and that "a covenant of independence has been irreparably breached."

Sept. 6, 2010: Washington Times Struggles Amid Divisions of Family, Ideology, Finances (The Washington Post)

Quote...But Preston, who had been blessed by his father a decade earlier as the son who would lead the Unification movement, was furious about this division of the family empire and felt outmaneuvered by his siblings, according to church and Times officials who declined to be named because they were wary of offending the faith's leaders.

Through the spring and summer of this year, that fraternal rivalry has come perilously close to claiming as its victim the Times, which was once one of the nation's most prominent platforms for conservative writers and politicians but is now one of the most endangered newspapers in a troubled industry. Since 2008, Times circulation has tumbled from 87,000 daily copies to about 40,000; its sports and metro sections were shuttered; its three top executives were fired; and more than half the newsroom was laid off.

Since its founding, the paper has lost an estimated $2 billion, surviving on church subsidies. Last year, those payments dried up.

Now, the newspaper's future rests on a fragile deal that might return control to the "True Father," as the senior Moon is known in church circles. Moon, represented by a trio of recently fired Times executives -- president and publisher Thomas McDevitt, finance chief Keith Cooperrider and chairman Douglas M. Joo -- is negotiating to purchase the paper back from Preston for $1, according to an internal Times memo obtained by The Washington Post and first reported by U.S. News & World Report. Former and current Times employees say that under the buyback proposal, Moon and his top aides would also assume the paper's $8 million to $10 million in liabilities and debt. But Times board member Richard Wojcik said in an interview that completion of the deal "remains to be seen."

McDevitt, Joo and Cooperrider did not return calls seeking comment. A church spokesman declined to comment. A Times spokesman said Preston Moon would not comment for this article. Sam Dealey, the Times' executive editor, declined to comment. ...

But former and current Times officials still worry that the team Moon intends to put back in charge includes the same people who presided over the paper's financial crisis. They fear that Moon's children will kill or sell the paper once the founder dies.

"The only one who seems to care about the paper is the father," said a senior Times official who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of getting fired. "The children don't care. . . . The morale of the newsroom is dreadfully low. You feel like you're in a dying institution and the owners don't care about what they have and what the Washington Times is."

Nov. 15, 2010: Just Like Old Times at the Washington Times? (Washington City Paper)

QuoteFor almost 30 years, The Washington Times has devoted itself, so far as anyone inside or outside the paper could tell, to two main purposes: Carrying the banner of free-market conservative Republicans, preferably in outlandish and over-the-top style; and losing money, preferably in the same way.

The Times only ever existed in the first place because of the near-bottomless benevolence of Moon, a convicted tax cheat whose church controls a vast global empire of profitable operations. And as angry conservatives marched to the polls around the country, restoring GOP rule on Capitol Hill, the Unification Church marched back into the newspaper's offices, restoring Moon's hardline disciples to rule on New York Avenue NE. Tuesday's "sale" (to borrow the scare quotes that the paper used to use to refer to gay "marriage"), from Preston Moon, Moon's Harvard MBA-educated eldest son, to a Delaware-based limited liability corporation led by Joo, who ran the paper back in the early 1990s and is known as "Mr. Joo" in the newsroom, will keep the paper in business.