Police Raid Sarang Jeil Church Over Allegations of 10.2 Billion Won in Illegal Political Funds

South Korean police have initiated a search and seizure operation at Sarang Jeil Church and related sites as part of an investigation into allegations of illegal political funding amounting to 10.2 billion won (approximately $7.3 million USD).

The raids follow a complaint filed late last year by the National Election Commission (NEC). The NEC accused Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church and six others of violating the Political Funds Act. The commission's investigation concluded that the Liberty Unification Party received approximately 10.2 billion won in 31 installments from Sarang Jeil Church between 2020 and the first half of 2025, under the guise of loan agreements.

Crucially, the NEC found that neither the principal nor the interest on these loans were significantly repaid. This led the commission to interpret the transactions as de facto political donations from the church to the party. South Korean law strictly prohibits corporations and organizations from making political donations.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Investigation Division is executing the search warrants. A police official confirmed the ongoing operation related to the NEC's complaint but declined to provide further details at this time. The investigation centers on whether the church's financial activities constituted illegal political funding.