US-South Korea relations headed for a 'rocky period' under President Lee: Analyst
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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
South Korea must rethink its one-sided courtship of North Korea
July 25 (UPI) -- Earlier this month, South Korea's National Intelligence Service quietly and abruptly suspended its decades-long radio and television broadcasts targeting North Korea. The decision -- made just 10 days after the inauguration of NIS Director Lee Jong-seok --marks a significant and sudden break from a 50-year tradition of information outreach to the North. When questioned by the press, the agency simply responded, "We cannot confirm." Though the suspension is being presented as a gesture of goodwill aimed at reviving inter-Korean dialogue, the Lee Jae Myung administration's increasingly unilateral and unquestioning approach to North Korea deserves serious scrutiny. NIS broadcasting to the North dates to 1973, when it formally took over operations from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The radio programs -- such as Voice of the People and Echo of Hope -- have long served as a vital source of uncensored information for North Korean listeners. In the 1980s, the South also began television transmissions, adapted to North Korea's PAL system. Many defectors have testified that these broadcasts were their first exposure to the realities of life in the South. It is no surprise, then, that 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring outlet, described the suspension as a "major victory" for Pyongyang in its battle against outside information. These broadcasts continued for decades across all administrations -- liberal and conservative alike -- regardless of the state of inter-Korean relations. Even the progressive governments of Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in never halted them. Like the West German broadcasts that relentlessly reached across the Berlin Wall during the Cold War, South Korea's airwaves played a quiet, but strategic, role in informing and inspiring hope in the North. That this effort was shut down without a single explanation or public discussion is as shocking as it is unprecedented. "Unconditional," even "blind," affection for North Korea is not an unfair characterization. President Lee Jae Myung did pledge to pursue inter-Korean reconciliation during his campaign. Since taking office, he has acted swiftly to make good on that promise. One of his earliest moves was to halt loudspeaker broadcasts at the DMZ. In response, Pyongyang immediately turned off its own propaganda speakers the following day. Though the move was unilateral, North Korea's mirrored response sparked cautious optimism. On July 8, South Korean civic groups -- most notably the Korean War Abductees' Family Union -- also announced a voluntary suspension of leaflet launches across the border, which North Korea has long condemned. This, too, was not a spontaneous civilian decision. It was facilitated through active persuasion by the Unification Minister nominee, vice ministers and several lawmakers. The initiative was undertaken without prior consultation with the North, yet it succeeded in calming a volatile issue. North Korea had previously retaliated by sending balloons filled with garbage and equipped with GPS trackers into the South. Many residents of border towns welcomed the decision as a measure to ease their suffering. But recent steps have raised the stakes. On July 9 -- just one day after the leaflet suspension -- South Korean authorities repatriated six North Korean fishermen rescued from coastal waters in the East and West Seas. After repairing one of the wooden boats in which they had arrived, the navy and coast guard escorted the men to the Northern Limit Line, where a North Korean patrol vessel and a presumed tugboat were waiting. Earlier, South Korean military and maritime authorities rescued four North Korean individuals aboard a drifting vessel in the East Sea on May 27, and two more from a separate boat in the West Sea on March 7. The wooden boat used in the July 9 repatriation was the same vessel rescued from the East Sea. The boat from the West Sea, however, was deemed beyond repair and ultimately abandoned. Demonstrating an unusual level of dedication, the Lee Jae Myung government undertook repairs of the damaged North Korean vessel to ensure the safe return of its passengers. The July 9 repatriation marked 43 days since the East Sea group was rescued and 124 days since the West Sea group's rescue. The government stated that all six expressed a clear desire to return home, and that Pyongyang's persistent silence had delayed the process. Eventually, Seoul issued a final notification via the United Nations Command, complete with coordinates for the handover point. Still, this was a highly sensitive move. North Korean defector repatriations carry heavy political and ethical risks, especially when the individual's intent is unclear. The 2019 case of two North Korean sailors -- who were forcibly returned via Panmunjom despite reportedly expressing a desire to defect -- ignited international outcry and legal consequences. It took until February 2025 for a South Korean court to issue suspended sentences against officials involved in the incident, which became a national controversy over human rights. In this latest case, the government has emphasized that the fishermen's return was voluntary. But the lack of North Korean cooperation and the unilateral nature of the move mean that the possibility of another human rights controversy cannot be ruled out. Despite that risk, the administration went forward -- using even the United Nations Command as a channel -- without receiving any reciprocal response or goodwill gesture from Pyongyang. All of this raises a difficult, but essential, question: Is South Korea pursuing reconciliation or merely indulging in an unrequited romance? With the simultaneous suspension of long-standing radio and TV broadcasts, public skepticism about the administration's true intentions is growing. This does not mean the public opposes peace. On the contrary, most South Koreans understand the need for engagement. But many are now asking whether the government is moving too fast, offering too much and asking too little in return. A policy of "watching and waiting" for Pyongyang's response before taking the next step may be wiser than a flurry of unilateral gestures. Peace on the Korean Peninsula must be built on mutual trust and reciprocity -- not on blind, one-sided affection. It's time to reexamine this approach before goodwill turns into strategic naïveté. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Unification Church probe widens; notebook reveals alleged political outreach
SEOUL, July 25 (UPI) -- South Korean prosecutors are expanding their investigation into the Unification Church, citing potential violations of political funding and anti-corruption laws. The inquiry has gained momentum following the emergence of financial records and a handwritten notebook that allegedly documents attempts by Church-affiliated figures to cultivate influence within the country's political establishment. According to the special prosecutor's team, authorities have obtained and are reviewing three years' worth of the Unification Church's internal accounting data, including donation records, expenditures and other financial documents. Prosecutors emphasized that the investigation does not concern religious doctrine or faith, but rather the suspected misuse of religious funds for political purposes. Evidence from former executive's notebook A pivotal piece of evidence surfaced in a report Wednesday by SBS News, which published contents of a notebook allegedly belonging to former senior Unification Church executive Yoon Young-ho. The notebook reportedly contains entries describing a phone call made by Jeon Seong-bae, a self-described spiritual adviser with ties to the Church, directly to then-First Lady Kim Keon-hee. According to SBS, the call -- made in the presence of Yoon and ruling People Power Party lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong and Yoon Han-hong -- included requests for government support of Cambodia-related development projects and other political favors potentially benefiting the Unification Church. Both lawmakers have denied involvement or knowledge of such requests. Prosecutors are investigating whether the outreach reflected a broader strategy by church affiliates to build political access through informal channels. Receipts for luxury items found Separate from the notebook, the special prosecutor's team has reportedly uncovered receipts for high-end luxury items, including a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel handbags. These receipts were recovered not from Yoon's personal residence, but from inside the Church's Seoul headquarters -- an issue now at the center of a dispute between the Church and its former executive. In a press release, the Unification Church stated that the purchases were made personally by Yoon, who then allegedly funneled the transactions through Church accounts using his wife, who served as a financial director. Church officials claimed they were unaware of the spending and characterized it as a personal deviation. In response, Yoon's side asserted that the documents' presence at Church headquarters indicates institutional involvement, not individual misconduct. "There is no reason for a religious organization's main office to store personal receipts for luxury goods," one legal representative said. Prosecutors, who questioned Yoon for more than 14 hours, are now tracing the flow of funds to determine whether Church finances were used for personal purchases. Signs of political mobilization Prosecutors are also reviewing reports that in 2022, Yoon circulated People Power Party membership application forms to Church members, possibly to consolidate political influence. While not illegal per se, the act raises questions about whether the Unification Church directed members' political activity in a coordinated manner. The investigation has been further bolstered by the acquisition of internal memos and donor records from the past three fiscal years, which could provide evidence of systematic diversion of offerings for political or personal benefit. Prosecutors clarify: Not a case about faith On July 18, Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki issued a public statement underscoring the non-religious focus of the probe. "This is not a probe into beliefs or doctrine," he said. "This is an inquiry into violations of the Political Funds Act, the Anti-Graft Act and related criminal statutes." In response, the Unification Church issued its own statement Thursday, condemning the investigation as "a clear violation of religious freedom." The Church also accused media outlets of defamatory and distorted coverage and warned of potential legal action against journalists and commentators. Historical pattern of deflecting accountability Legal experts and observers point out that this is not the first time the Unification Church has invoked religious liberty in response to mounting scrutiny. In March, a Japanese court ordered the dissolution of the Church's local corporation, concluding that abusive fundraising practices -- including those linked to the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- violated the public interest. The court found that the Church had "coercively exploited religious authority" to solicit excessive donations. In the United States, the Church lost a 14-year legal battle over UCI, a nonprofit governed by a board under the chairmanship of Hyun Jin Preston Moon, the third son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that the case involved questions of religious doctrine and church organization which courts were forbidden to rule on by the religious freedom clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The court, therefore, rejected the Church's power play to assert control over UCI. Looking ahead Prosecutors have already summoned Yoon for questioning and are expected to call other senior Unification Church officials in the coming weeks. The inquiry continues to widen as investigators analyze seized documents, financial ledgers and digital communications. As new allegations emerge, legal analysts note a growing debate in South Korea over how democracies should balance protections for religious freedom with the need to safeguard public accountability -- especially if spiritual institutions operate as political or financial actors cloaked in religious legitimacy. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
Unification Church probe widens; notebook reveals alleged political outreach
A notebook allegedly belonging to former senior Unification Church executive Yoon Young-ho reportedly contains entries describing a phone call made by Jeon Seong-bae, a self-described spiritual adviser with ties to the Unification Church, directly to then–First Lady Kim Keon-hee (shown). File Photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA SEOUL, July 25 (UPI) -- South Korean prosecutors are expanding their investigation into the Unification Church, citing potential violations of political funding and anti-corruption laws. The inquiry has gained momentum following the emergence of financial records and a handwritten notebook that allegedly documents attempts by Church-affiliated figures to cultivate influence within the country's political establishment. According to the special prosecutor's team, authorities have obtained and are reviewing three years' worth of the Unification Church's internal accounting data, including donation records, expenditures and other financial documents. Prosecutors emphasized that the investigation does not concern religious doctrine or faith, but rather the suspected misuse of religious funds for political purposes. Evidence from former executive's notebook A pivotal piece of evidence surfaced in a report Wednesday by SBS News, which published contents of a notebook allegedly belonging to former senior Unification Church executive Yoon Young-ho. The notebook reportedly contains entries describing a phone call made by Jeon Seong-bae, a self-described spiritual adviser with ties to the Church, directly to then-First Lady Kim Keon-hee. According to SBS, the call -- made in the presence of Yoon and ruling People Power Party lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong and Yoon Han-hong -- included requests for government support of Cambodia-related development projects and other political favors potentially benefiting the Unification Church. Both lawmakers have denied involvement or knowledge of such requests. Prosecutors are investigating whether the outreach reflected a broader strategy by church affiliates to build political access through informal channels. Receipts for luxury items found Separate from the notebook, the special prosecutor's team has reportedly uncovered receipts for high-end luxury items, including a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel handbags. These receipts were recovered not from Yoon's personal residence, but from inside the Church's Seoul headquarters -- an issue now at the center of a dispute between the Church and its former executive. In a press release, the Unification Church stated that the purchases were made personally by Yoon, who then allegedly funneled the transactions through Church accounts using his wife, who served as a financial director. Church officials claimed they were unaware of the spending and characterized it as a personal deviation. In response, Yoon's side asserted that the documents' presence at Church headquarters indicates institutional involvement, not individual misconduct. "There is no reason for a religious organization's main office to store personal receipts for luxury goods," one legal representative said. Prosecutors, who questioned Yoon for more than 14 hours, are now tracing the flow of funds to determine whether Church finances were used for personal purchases. Signs of political mobilization Prosecutors are also reviewing reports that in 2022, Yoon circulated People Power Party membership application forms to Church members, possibly to consolidate political influence. While not illegal per se, the act raises questions about whether the Unification Church directed members' political activity in a coordinated manner. The investigation has been further bolstered by the acquisition of internal memos and donor records from the past three fiscal years, which could provide evidence of systematic diversion of offerings for political or personal benefit. Prosecutors clarify: Not a case about faith On July 18, Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki issued a public statement underscoring the non-religious focus of the probe. "This is not a probe into beliefs or doctrine," he said. "This is an inquiry into violations of the Political Funds Act, the Anti-Graft Act and related criminal statutes." In response, the Unification Church issued its own statement Thursday, condemning the investigation as "a clear violation of religious freedom." The Church also accused media outlets of defamatory and distorted coverage and warned of potential legal action against journalists and commentators. Historical pattern of deflecting accountability Legal experts and observers point out that this is not the first time the Unification Church has invoked religious liberty in response to mounting scrutiny. In March, a Japanese court ordered the dissolution of the Church's local corporation, concluding that abusive fundraising practices -- including those linked to the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- violated the public interest. The court found that the Church had "coercively exploited religious authority" to solicit excessive donations. In the United States, the Church lost a 14-year legal battle over UCI, a nonprofit governed by a board under the chairmanship of Hyun Jin Preston Moon, the third son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that the case involved questions of religious doctrine and church organization which courts were forbidden to rule on by the religious freedom clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The court, therefore, rejected the Church's power play to assert control over UCI. Looking ahead Prosecutors have already summoned Yoon for questioning and are expected to call other senior Unification Church officials in the coming weeks. The inquiry continues to widen as investigators analyze seized documents, financial ledgers and digital communications. As new allegations emerge, legal analysts note a growing debate in South Korea over how democracies should balance protections for religious freedom with the need to safeguard public accountability -- especially if spiritual institutions operate as political or financial actors cloaked in religious legitimacy.
