The “further bogged-down power struggle” that began with the “ouster of the number two” is a cause for tremors within the church.

The sudden news of the ouster of the number two leader of the Unification Church is shaking the World Federation of Peace Unification Churches.

At the May 9 meeting of the leaders of the Cheon Jeong Gung Asa Seder in South Korea, it was reported that President Han Hak-ja had said that Yoon Yong-ho, then head of the World Mission Headquarters, had been told to take a leave of absence for health reasons. The “health” part was a cover story, and in fact, it is believed that he was actually removed from his post. There is widespread unrest among believers.

Yun, who was appointed head of the World Mission Headquarters around 2008, is known as the “confidant within the confidant” of President Han, who has been in charge of all practical affairs of the church. The background of his ouster is described by Eito Suzuki, a journalist who has been following the cult for many years.

It is said that rival leaders who lost the leadership battle with Mr. Yun may have advised President Han of the scandal that General Director Yun was embezzling the Order’s funds, and then ousted him. In the first place, Mr. Yun was in a unit that investigated embezzlement of public funds by executives within the Order, and he rose through the ranks as a result of his successes there. He has accused and ousted senior leaders, and now he has been accused of the same thing himself.

It is believed that there will be a further power struggle for the number two position in the organization.

The grandson of Oyasama and his wife will be his successor, and the power that ousted Mr. Yun will take over. On the other hand, it is believed that there are those who do not like the current dictatorship of President Han, so it is difficult to predict how the situation will unfold. There is a possibility that Yun, who has grasped all the financial aspects of the Order, will strike back with a major scandal.

Depending on the future course of the power struggle, there may be repercussions for Japan.

The donations from Japan have been very important to the Korean headquarter of the Order, but since the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year, the amount of donations has reportedly been declining. There is no small possibility that the ‘increase in donations from Japan’ will be used in a power struggle to gain President Han’s reputation.

Regarding the information about Yun’s ouster, this magazine interviewed the former Unification Church,

I am sorry. We are not sure of the details. Please ask the Korean Church.

The answer was, “We are sorry, but we don’t know the details. The move by the Korean headquarters of the church should be of great concern to the Japanese church as well. ……

From the June 16-23, 2023 issue of FRIDAY