How Well Do You Know Your Moon

Furthermore, because these [pikareum sex] rites are carried out under conditions of extreme secrecy, believers who have not yet reached this stage remain only vaguely suspicious or completely unaware of them. Even among believers who actually participated in illicit sexual relations, those who later regretted it and attempted to leave were prevented by the threats of the Unification Church, which feared exposure of its secrets; by the unbearable shame experienced by the women; by their resulting silence; and by the lack of physical evidence due to the secret manner in which the acts were performed. Thus, according to the author, Sun Myung Moon, together with Unification Church officials and senior leaders, continued to satisfy both sexual desire and greed under a thorough and skillful disguise.

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Translated from the Korean

Theological Chronicle “This Is Sun Myung Moon” The True Identity of the Unification Church Leader The Antichrist the Church Must Confront Is the Unification Church

...

II. The Leader, Sun Myung Moon The essential teachings of the so-called Unification Church, which venerates Sun Myung Moon as its leader and which the author characterizes as a heretical religion of illicit sexual relations, are as follows.

The reason humanity fell is that Eve, in the Garden of Eden, had an illicit physical relationship, that is, unlawful sexual intercourse, with Satan, who had been the archangel. As a result of this event, Satan’s evil blood has been inherited and flows through the veins of all humanity born thereafter. Therefore, for humanity to return to its original blessed position and condition prior to the Fall, it is possible only by taking exactly the opposite course from the path by which the Fall occurred (the so-called doctrine of restoration). Accordingly, salvation of both spirit and body is possible only by having a physical sexual relationship with Jesus and thereby receiving new blood.

However, two thousand years ago, because Jesus Christ was crucified because of the ignorance of mankind before he could have physical relations with those who followed him, he failed to accomplish the purpose of humanity’s salvation [and father sinless children]. Therefore, in order to complete the unfinished mission, Jesus necessarily had to return a second time, and that returned Jesus is none other than Sun Myung Moon, the leader of the Unification Church.

Accordingly, the mission of the leader Moon, who within the Unification Church is called “Lord,” “Lord of the Second Coming,” and “Father of the Universe,” is concentrated on accomplishing the providence of salvation by entering into physical sexual relations with believers. The act of illicit sexual relations centered on him, the so-called ritual of pikareum “blood exchange” (“changing the blood”) (see NCC Christian Yearbook, May 1972, p. 5), constitutes the core and entirety of Unification Church doctrine.

The origin of this kind of religion centered on illicit sexual relations can already be found, as pointed out in the study of religion, in the examples of the sacred shrines of the goddesses Aphrodite and Astarte on the ancient island of Cyprus, and in the cult of illicit sexual rites associated with the temple of Mylitta in Babylon. In those religions, illicit sexual relations were practiced not as immoral indulgence or sexual excess but as a solemn religious duty (Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, 1918, Vol. 10, p. 680).

In the Unification Church’s ritual of pikareum “blood exchange,” by which believers receive pure blood through sexual intercourse with Sun Myung Moon as the Lord of the Second Coming who came to save humanity physically, a female believer who has had a physical relationship with Moon then has relations with another male believer. The woman who has had sexual intercourse with Moon immediately has her blood purified; then, when she has sexual relations with another man, that man’s blood is likewise purified. That man then has relations with another woman, and that woman with another man, so that physical salvation continually expands. In this way, a single unified extended family centered upon the so-called “Moon Jesus” is continually formed.

Accordingly, Moon does not need to have direct sexual relations with every woman in the world in order to fulfill his mission of saving humanity. Therefore, even among female believers he selects only those who are beautiful and wealthy, satisfying his sexual desires under the pretext of religious ritual (see Dr. Shin Sa-hoon’s advisory article in Korean Gospel News, November 10, 1968).

However, because these rites of illicit sexual relations are thoroughly concealed through a system of double doctrine, the great majority of ordinary believers are unaware of them (see NCC Christian Yearbook, May 1972, p. 5). In practice, the ritual of blood exchange is performed only for believers who have reached the final stage, called “Confirmation” (確定), among the three stages of Recognition (認定), Confirmation (確認), and Final Confirmation (確定) (see Sinhwa Magazine, June 1957).

Furthermore, because these rites are carried out under conditions of extreme secrecy, believers who have not yet reached this stage remain only vaguely suspicious or completely unaware of them. Even among believers who actually participated in illicit sexual relations, those who later regretted it and attempted to leave were prevented by the threats of the Unification Church, which feared exposure of its secrets; by the unbearable shame experienced by the women; by their resulting silence; and by the lack of physical evidence due to the secret manner in which the acts were performed. Thus, according to the author, Sun Myung Moon, together with Unification Church officials and senior leaders, continued to satisfy both sexual desire and greed under a thorough and skillful disguise.

Nevertheless, it is most fortunate that these acts of the Unification Church have been continually exposed by a considerable number of former members. Among the senior leaders of the Korean church are respected individuals who possess firsthand testimony from victims of these acts, and the present author also possesses some such testimony.

As one example, Lee Soon-dae, the stepmother of Eu Hyo-won, divorced her lawful husband because of the Unification Church and engaged in illicit sexual relations with Sun Myung Moon. According to her own account: 1 At the time she believed Moon was God. 2 The illicit sexual act took place with only the two of them present. 3 Therefore, there were no witnesses. 4 Because she was ashamed, she could not bring legal charges against Moon. (See Christian Elite, Seoul National University General Christian Students’ Association, 1970, p. 47.)

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article written in about 1973.

신학춘추

“이것이 문선명이다” ― 통일교주의 정체 ―

교회가 대처해야할 敵그리스도는 통일교

「 영계를 통해 보면 예수님이 선생님께 경배한다 」가르쳐

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Sun Myung Moon used a ‘Honey Trap’ – Choi Soon-yeong explains

Pak Chung-hwa interviewed about Moon’s “SEX relays”

Full Confession of the Contents of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s “Pikareum Sex Rituals”

Moon’s theology for his pikareum sex rituals with all the 36 wives

Sun Myung Moon – Restoration through Incest

Ritual Sex in the Unification Church – Kirsti L. Nevalainen

Sun Myung Moon explains pikareum

Ewha Womans University sex scandal as told in the 1955 newspapers

Special counsel seeks 13 years for Unification Church leader

Han Hak-ja is accused of political fund violations, bribery-related offenses, embezzlement and ordering evidence destruction.

July 10, 2026 / 7:14 PM

By Asia Today and translated by UPI

Photo: Han Hak-ja, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, arrives Thursday at the Seoul Central District Court for the final hearing in her trial over alleged improper ties between religion and politics under the Yoon Suk Yeol government. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

July 10 (Asia Today) -- A special counsel team on Thursday sought a 13-year prison term for Han Hak-ja, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, commonly known as the Unification Church, over allegations involving improper ties between religion and politics.

The team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki made the request during the final hearing in Han's trial at the Seoul Central District Court. Han has been charged with violating the Political Funds Act and other offenses.

The special counsel asked the court to sentence Han to five years in prison on the political funds charge and eight years on the remaining charges.

"Han and others used vast financial resources to unlawfully and improperly use public authority in an effort to expand religious interests and influence and realize the integration of religion and politics," the special counsel team said.

The team said the alleged crimes "directly violated the spirit of the Constitution and damaged representative democracy."

"Han and others, as top leaders of a religious organization, privately used donations voluntarily made by believers and improperly colluded with political forces in an attempt to influence South Korea," the team said.

The special counsel also sought prison terms for other defendants being tried with Han.

For a former chief of staff identified only by the surname Chung, the team requested four years in prison on the political funds charge and six years on the remaining charges.

For Yun Young-ho, former head of the church's world headquarters, the team sought one year and six months in prison on the political funds charge and two years on the remaining charges. The team requested three years in prison for Yun's wife, identified only by the surname Lee.

Han is accused of conspiring with Yun and others to deliver 100 million won, about $66,000, in political funds to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in January 2022.

She is also accused of involvement in delivering gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee through Jeon Seong-bae, a religious figure known as Geonjin, while seeking favors related to church affairs in 2022.

Han also faces allegations that she embezzled church funds and ordered Yun to destroy evidence in October 2022 in preparation for a police investigation into allegations that she gambled overseas.

Han arrived at the court at about 9:29 a.m. wearing a black jacket and white pants and using a wheelchair. She did not answer reporters' questions, including whether she had given gifts to Kim.

Special counsel seeks 13-yr prison term for Unification Church leader in bribery case

Chae Yun-hwan National 11:49 July 10, 2026

SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Friday sought a 13-year prison term for Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja on multiple charges that include bribing the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team made the sentencing recommendation at the Seoul Central District Court after indicting Han for her alleged role in gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to former first lady Kim Keon Hee while requesting favors for the church in July 2022.

4 years after PM Abe's assassination, Japan reflects as Unification Church faces dissolution

July 9, 2026 (Mainichi Japan)

NARA -- July 8 marked four years since former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally gunned down during a House of Councillors election campaign speech in this west Japan city. The incident shed light on the damage inflicted on followers and others by the former Unification Church, which lay behind the assassination, and a court order to dissolve the group was finalized in June. •

People visiting the site where Abe, then 67, was shot in 2022 to mourn him on the fourth anniversary said, "The incident must not be forgotten," among other comments.

A 68-year-old woman from Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, who identified herself as a former Unification Church follower, quietly pressed her hands together in front of the flower offering stand. "I've closely seen people who had their assets and everything else taken away by the church. The defendant (Yamagami) may have been in a predicament, too, but if he had someone else to turn to, things may have turned out differently. Even so, what he has done is unacceptable," she said, revealing her mixed emotions.

Among the mourners at the site on July 8 was Eito Suzuki, a journalist who has long pursued the social issues triggered by the Unification Church. He has visited the site every anniversary. Speaking to reporters after offering flowers, he revealed that he had met Yamagami recently and expressed his regret, saying, "The dissolution order is one milestone, but had the order been issued much earlier, the incident wouldn't have occurred. It was long overdue. I wonder if it is right to lay the blame solely on him (Yamagami)."

A flower offering stand was set up by a group of volunteers in front of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station, drawing citizens from early on July 8 who offered flowers to pay their respects to Abe. At 11:31 a.m., the time Abe was shot, those concerned observed a moment of silence toward a flower bed created at the assassination site.

Shuji Yamamoto, 68, an employee of an organization from Gojo, Nara Prefecture, pressed his hands together in front of the flower offering stand. Recalling Abe smiling while he munched on a persimmon to promote the local specialty during his time as prime minister, Yamamoto recounted, "I felt honored to find that he was treating even a small municipality carefully. I'm still filled with regret."

In a lay judge trial, the Nara District Court handed down a life sentence in January to Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, the defendant accused of murdering Abe, as sought by public prosecutors. The ruling recognized that Yamagami's family fell apart after his mother entered the Unification Church, formally the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, and that he shot Abe whom he believed was tied to the religious group. Yamagami appealed the ruling, keeping the trial moving. The assassination has uncovered the realities of damage wrought by the church and the existence of the children of followers, leading their situation to become a social issue.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology filed for a court order to dissolve the Unification Church on the grounds that it illegally solicited donations from followers. After the Tokyo District Court and the Tokyo High Court issued the dissolution order, the Supreme Court in June upheld the lower court ruling. The focus now is on how far efforts to provide relief to victims will progress through liquidation procedures for the church.

Supreme Court Confirms 1-Year-6-Month Sentence for Unification Church Head

Former leader sentenced in Chanel bag solicitation case involving Kim Keon-hee, People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong

By Kim Na-yeong Published 2026.07.09. 11:44 Updated 2026.07.09. 13:44

Photo: Yun Young-ho, former World Director of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) (Unification Church). /News1

The Supreme Court on the 9th confirmed the actual prison sentence of former Unification Church global head Yun Young-ho, who provided money and goods to former first lady Kim Keon-hee and People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong and solicited favors regarding Unification Church issues. This marks the first Supreme Court ruling on the Unification Church solicitation case.

The Supreme Court’s Third Division (presiding Justice Oh Seok-jun) dismissed the appeal against the lower court’s sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison for Yun, who faced charges including violations of the Improper Solicitation Prevention Act, Political Funds Act, and breach of trust.

Yun is accused of purchasing two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace between April and July 2022 as a reward for soliciting favors related to Unification Church issues, then gifting them to Ms. Kim through Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman widely known as Geonjin. He also faces charges of embezzling Unification Church funds during the purchase of these items.

Yun received a prison sentence of 1 year and 2 months in the first trial, but the sentence was increased to 1 year and 6 months in the second trial. The first trial found Yun guilty only of delivering one of the two Chanel bags to Ms. Kim in July 2022. This was because Ms. Kim was not the spouse of a public official at the time of the first bag’s delivery in April 2022. The court also ruled Yun not guilty of breach of trust, as it did not recognize his intent to illegally acquire property (the intent to use or dispose of another’s property as one’s own).

However, the appellate court ruled, “There is no fundamental difference in illegality or criticizability in using religious organization funds under the pretext of providing gifts to the spouse of a president-elect or president to solicit favors, regardless of whether it is before or after the president’s inauguration,” and found Yun guilty of all charges related to the two Chanel bags. Regarding the embezzlement charges, the court overturned the previous judgment, stating, “It is unjust for the establishment of breach of trust charges to vary based on the temporal coincidence that the recipient was not yet the spouse of a public official.”

Yun was found guilty in both the first and second trials of providing illegal political funds worth 100 million Korean won to Rep. Kweon. Conversely, the charge of destroying evidence (evidence tampering) after obtaining police investigation information regarding overseas gambling by Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja and others was dismissed, as it was deemed outside the scope of investigation under the Special Counsel Act.

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4 years after Abe’s death, killer still blames church for woes

By KO SENDO/ Staff Writer July 8, 2026 at 16:18 JST

Tetsuya Yamagami, in the Nara District Court on Jan. 21, listens as the presiding judge reads the verdict sentencing him to life in prison. (Illustration by Eri Iwasaki)

On the fourth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination, jailhouse interviews with his convicted killer reveal a man still obsessed with the downfall of the Unification Church, which he blames for ruining his family. 

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, seems less concerned with his own life sentence and still bears the grudge that led him to kill Abe on July 8, 2022, in Nara, who he believed had close ties to the church.

Yamagami was sentenced to life in prison by the Nara District Court in January for murder and violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law.

He has since appealed the sentence and is awaiting trial at the Osaka High Court.

In three meetings with The Asahi Shimbun since the verdict, Yamagami has remained largely dispassionate.

During a meeting on June 5 at the Osaka Detention House, Yamagami appeared with his hair down to his shoulders. Pushing back his center-parted bangs, he answered questions with his eyes downcast, avoiding eye contact.

When asked how he was doing, he replied only, “So-so.” When a reporter explained the planned article, his responses were a curt “Ah” and “Oh.”

The first post-verdict meeting took place on Feb. 4.

A reporter asked Yamagami how he felt about the life sentence handed down by the Nara District Court on Jan. 21.

Yamagami replied quietly, as if gauging the intent of the judges who reached the verdict: “Well, Mr. Abe is dead. …”

He did not elaborate further, but at times disputed the ruling, saying, “There are problems with it.”

ANXIETY OVER DISSOLUTION ORDER The conversation turned to the court’s conclusion that there was “a leap” between his troubled upbringing—where his mother’s large donations to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church) caused family discord—and the circumstances that drove him to murder.

“If my older brother (who died by suicide in opposition to the church) hadn’t died, I probably would have lived a normal life,” Yamagami said.

Regarding the church, he was emphatic: “It is certain that it would be better if they were dissolved.”

His wish has since been realized. Following a Tokyo District Court ruling in March 2025, the Tokyo High Court upheld the government’s dissolution order for the church in March 2026, initiating its liquidation process.

During a subsequent meeting on May 29, while on a different topic, Yamagami suddenly confided, “I was anxious until the dissolution order was issued.”

It was a rare, direct expression of emotion from Yamagami, who throughout his trial and interviews has spoken of himself in a detached, objective manner.

The exchange suggested that for Yamagami, the fate of the church was of greater interest than his own life sentence.

‘NOTHING FROM ME’ FOR APPEAL Currently, as preparations for Yamagami’s appeal hearing at the Osaka High Court are ongoing, his courtroom persona remains unchanged.

In his first trial, he spoke of his circumstances dispassionately, as if they belonged to someone else.

When asked during a meeting if he had anything he wanted to convey to society in his appeal, Yamagami answered without changing his expression: “There is nothing from me.”

According to sources, Yamagami’s defense team has been revamped, with one of the four original lawyers being replaced. The new member is an attorney from the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, a group that combats damages caused by the church.

The defense is expected to re-emphasize the negative influence the church had on Yamagami’s family.

They will likely argue that the church’s practice of soliciting repeated, large donations from believers was a key factor behind the defendant’s crime.

Reformation, Integration and Sovereignty – Blessed Child

Join me on EP 67 while I explain the reformation stage or RIS – Reformation Integration and Sovereignty a journey towards self after leaving a high control group Please reach out to me on instagram at Blessed child to talk about how you discovered ways to self-regulate after leaving a cult!

Japan top court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church - The Japan Times

For those of us who were born into the Unification Church, many of our parents or grandparents gave sacrificially for decades. If your family made donations and you have receipts, financial records, or other evidence of those contributions, please consider looking into the official claims process. Whether you decide to file or not is entirely your choice, but I wanted to make sure anyone who may qualify knows this opportunity exists.

The notion of personal boundaries is an unfamiliar concept for many people as they first embark on a journey of personal growth or recovery from childhood abuse. The need for ‘good boundaries’ has often never occurred to them, receiving mention neither within families nor schools. In addition, poor role modelling of unhealthy boundaries in childhood by parents and significant others means that many individuals reach adulthood with underdeveloped, overdeveloped, or distorted boundaries.

A metaphorical example: If someone stands on your toe, you need first to notice that your toe is being stood upon, to register that it is an unpleasant experience, and to know that you have the right to protest so that appropriate action is taken, in this case the offending party moves away and, ideally, apologises.

If personal boundaries are underdeveloped, the person might even be unaware of the intrusion, or there might be a self-belief that it is not okay to protest the unpleasant experience, maybe even blaming the self (perhaps for getting in the way or for being too sensitive). On the part of the offender, someone with overdeveloped boundaries may not notice the effect of their own behaviour (intruding too closely on another’s personal space and causing pain), or may blame the other (‘your foot should not have got in my way’).

A distorted boundary might say ‘I have the right to stand on anyone’s toe I choose’, or ‘I deserve to suffer’.

What are boundaries? Personal boundaries are the physical, emotional and mental limits that define you as separate from another person. Having healthy boundaries means accepting that you are a separate individual with your own emotions, needs, attitudes and values, and that your husband, wife, child and others are all separate individuals in their own right with their own emotions, needs, attitudes and values. They do not have the right to control you, nor do you have the right to control them. People with healthy boundaries have respect for other people’s feelings and beliefs, even if they are different from their own. They are able to express a personal need to another person and accept a ‘no’ in response should the request not be met favorably by the other.

Having healthy boundaries means taking responsibility for all that is ‘me’ and not taking responsibility for what is ‘not me’. This notion is not always easy to achieve and maintain in practice, even for someone with good personal boundaries, but it is a vitally important intention to hold if we want to honour ourselves and to have positive healthy relationships.

Boundaries preserve our integrity. They guard our outer being and our inner world from harm. They enable us to recognise and fulfil our emotional needs. Defences, on the other hand, isolate us from our true selves and from being close to others. People with good boundaries feel more in control of their lives because they realise they have a choice about the behaviour they will or won’t tolerate from others. It is safer to be intimate with others when we have healthy boundaries.

• Boundaries help define our sense of self 

• Boundaries protect us 

• Boundaries put us in charge of our own lives 

• Boundaries promote healthy relationships

How do we develop boundaries? We all need healthy physical, emotional and sexual boundaries. The best place to learn good boundaries is within families as we grow up. Boundaries are generally least functional where there has been significant neglect, abuse, or enmeshment in childhood. Enmeshment refers to losing one’s sense of self within a relationship. For example, a mother might encourage an overly close relationship with her child to compensate for her own inner emptiness. Such children will feel compelled to deny who they are or what they need in order to please the parent.

The absence of healthy boundaries for children within families means that they will be all the more vulnerable to further boundary violations. For example, a child who is emotionally neglected at home might be bullied at school, or molested by a stranger.

As a result of adverse childhood experiences, children can grow up with so few boundaries that they become stuck in a victim pattern (they are unable to say no), or they may develop an opposite coping mechanism where they have too many boundaries and become emotionally ‘walled off ’ and isolated in an attempt to ward off further hurt (they are unable to say yes). Such persons will have a hard time identifying their own feelings and being close to others. Having overdeveloped boundaries can be as destructive as having underdeveloped boundaries.

Boundaries are easily undone if we have poor self-esteem or hold a faulty belief that other people’s needs and feelings are more important than our own. We will then often not be able to say no to requests that don’t feel right, and we may ultimately end up exhausted and resentful. Healthy boundaries enable us to know what is important to us and to say no appropriately. This can be an extremely difficult set of new behaviours to learn. For many women, for example, being told repeatedly when young that it is ‘selfish’ to think of personal needs, a conviction can form that they must always think of and please others. This can also apply to men. A certain amount of ‘selfishness’ is necessary to having good boundaries. Learning that there is a place for selfishness in a normal person’s healthy repertoire can be a surprising lesson for many.

It is never too late to develop good boundaries. You need to develop awareness about the nature of the boundary deficiencies or excesses that you have learned in childhood and notice more intently their impact on your present life. You can consciously focus on improving your boundaries once you truly know you have a right to own boundaries. Change can start with just noticing when someone has ‘crossed the line’ and intruded on your boundary. Later you may learn that you can set limits, protest an offence, express a personal need, say no, not feel upset because someone you love is upset, or please yourself without feeling guilty. All of these changes can feel very uncomfortable initially.

Remember too that having good boundaries does not mean blaming others for their inappropriate boundaries but taking responsibility for clearly and consistently asserting your own boundaries. Unless we set clear limits we cannot assume others will respect our boundaries. It is also essential that you learn to make your safety your own responsibility and to take whatever action is necessary to safeguard yourself if you are in an abusive situation.

We can also reflect on what we learned or didn’t learn about boundaries in our childhood and teach our children differently.

Further reading: Anne Katherine “Boundaries: Where You End and I Begin” 1993 Simon & Schuster

Maggie Down bio

http://www.counsellingonstirling.com.au/boundaries.html

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Charismatic Authority (authority is not the same as power)

conformity

A Japanese nurse joined the Unification Church in about 1985.

She was “blessed” and later the couple did eventually visit her parents for a night with their one-month-old baby. In the morning the grandparents woke and found that the couple had disappeared. There was a note on the pillow. “Please look after my baby. I have to go overseas to support the mission of the new messiah.” The wife’s parents had no idea where she was. After three years she returned [in about 1995]. The child did not know her mother; she thought her grandparents were her parents.

The mother had been in Brazil. At Jardim she saw how the Korean leader spent a lot of money on a luxury lifestyle for himself; he had an expensive car, etc. When she questioned why one Korean leader was using Japanese money to send his children to college, she was told “True Father sent his children to college and I am in the position of his representative in Brazil so I can do the same.”

In Sao Paolo she visited the house for True Parents and saw the bathroom was all gold, including the toilet. She began to have doubts. During her three year absence her parents had educated themselves about the UC. On the mother’s return to Japan she was introduced to a counsellor and eventually she could understand the deception of the UC and she left the cult. After some time the child began to recognize who her real mother was.

Because she had been a nurse, she could get a job.

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There have been more suicides of members in Japan than most people are aware of.

Even Mr Kuboki himself (the Japanese national leader for many years) once tried to commit suicide.

Moon broke up Mr Osami Kuboki’s family

Moon instructed: “Whenever the Blessed couples have children, as soon as the child become 100 days old, they will put him in the nursery school.”

Are Clube Atlético Sorocaba and Clube Esportivo Nova Esperança still owned by the Unification Church? I do not know Portuguese and am struggling to find current information on their ownership, and if it continued after Moon’s death. That said, Sorocaba is clearly inactive.

Editorial: The Unification Church dissolution ruling in Japan solves nothing by itself

June 30, 2026 (Mainichi Japan)

Photo: The building housing the headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly the Unification Church, is seen at the center of this photo taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, June 23, 2026. (Mainichi/Daisuke Wada)

The dissolution order against the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, has been finalized. Japan's Supreme Court dismissed the group's special appeal and upheld the Tokyo High Court decision ordering its dissolution. But this does not mean the problems surrounding the group have been resolved. Relief for victims of spiritual-sales schemes and excessive donations must be steadily and reliably carried forward. • The group has long collected donations through malicious tactics, such as telling people struggling with serious worries that they were suffering from "ancestral karma" and stoking their anxiety. The damage recognized through civil court rulings and settlements alone exceeds 7 billion yen (approx. $43.16 million).

The Supreme Court found that having believers solicit donations by setting fundraising targets that could not be achieved through ordinary means "significantly harms the public welfare." It rejected the church's claim that ordering its dissolution would violate the Constitution by infringing on freedom of religion.

In past dissolution orders over legal violations involving groups such as the AUM Shinrikyo cult, senior figures had faced criminal punishment. This is the first dissolution based on civil wrongdoing. It sets a precedent that improper solicitation of donations will not be tolerated.

The focus now shifts to liquidating the group. Its assets will be sorted out and used to compensate those who come forward with claims of harm. Following the high court ruling, those procedures have already begun.

Some former believers do not have records on hand proving their donations. There will also likely be cases in which people still have not fully broken free from the group's brainwashing and hesitate to report the harm they suffered. Support is needed to ensure they obtain steady and meaningful relief.

Even if the church is dissolved and loses bases such as its facilities, believers will still be able to continue their religious activities. Nor can the risk be dismissed that the same kind of problematic donation solicitation could resume. To prevent harm from being repeated, the state must strengthen its consultation system and respond quickly.

Problems with the group had been pointed out since the 1980s, yet the state's response was slow. The dissolution process only moved forward after the 2022 shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a defendant who was a second-generation follower of the religion.

[He was born before his mother met the UC. He was NOT a follower of the religion.]

Ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers, in return for receiving election support, attended events tied to the church and in effect gave its activities a stamp of approval. Even so, the LDP's review and explanation remain inadequate.

June 30, 2026, 17:33 [KOREA WAVE] On June 29, the Seoul Central District Court decided to extend the suspension of detention by another month for Hak Ja Han, the leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). Han had been indicted on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act in connection with a scandal involving collusion between politics and religion, and was previously granted temporary release due to deteriorating health.

This marks the third time such an extension has been granted, following a decision made on the 29th of last month. On the 25th of this month, Han’s legal team had requested the extension, arguing that she could not endure life in the detention center due to surgery required for a shoulder fracture and declining eyesight. Although the deadline for her temporary release was approaching at 2:00 PM on the 30th, this latest decision allows her to continue attending her trial while remaining at liberty until 2:00 PM on July 31.

The suspension of detention is a legal mechanism that allows for the temporary release of a defendant in cases of urgent and unavoidable circumstances, such as a serious illness or a family funeral. During this period, Han is restricted to staying within the hospital where she is receiving treatment, and she is strictly prohibited from having any direct or indirect contact or communication with witnesses or other individuals involved in the case.

The day salvation never came: A former follower’s account of Seoul’s 1992 Rapture movement

Jan 21, 2025 1:26 PM PST [Editor’s note: Have you ever wondered why people are drawn to cults? Throughout history, forces that exploit chaotic times to consume souls have always existed. Such was the case on October 28, 1992. The “Rapture,” a doomsday prophecy, led to numerous victims. People lost their fortunes, severed ties with their families, and, in some cases, even took their own lives. Even 33 years later, the damage caused by cults continues to unfold. This article revisits the chaos of 1992, when the turmoil of the end times reached its peak, based on the testimony of Park Sun-sook (a pseudonym), a former follower of the Rapture movement, and Reverend Jin Yong-sik, who has been at the forefront of fighting against cults.]

일본 대법원, 옛 통일교 해산명령 확정···“불법적 헌금 권유 지속, 다수에 막대한 피해” 입력 2026.06.23 22:35 수정 2026.06.23 22:42

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대법원에 해당하는 일본 최고재판소가 세계평화통일가정연합(옛 통일교·이하 가정연합)에 대한 해산 명령을 확정했다.

NHK 등 현지 언론은 전날 최고재판소가 가정연합의 특별항고를 기각했다고 23일 보도했다. 이로써 2022년 아베 신조 전 총리 피살 사건으로 시작된 통일교 관련 사법 절차가 2년여 만에 마무리됐다.

최고재판소는 가정연합의 해산 명령이 교단과 신자들에게 미칠 정신적 영향을 고려하더라도 “해산은 필요하고 부득이하다”고 판결했다. 최고재판소는 “교단이 1973년부터 약 50년간 조직적으로 불법적인 헌금 권유를 지속해 다수에게 막대한 재산적·정신적 피해를 줬다”고 지적했다. 또 해산 명령이 종교의 자유를 침해한다는 교단 측 주장에는 “간접적 제약에 그친다”며 받아들이지 않았다.

2022년 7월 아베 신조 전 총리를 살해한 범인이 “어머니가 통일교에 거액을 기부해 가정이 엉망이 됐다”고 범행 동기를 밝힌 이후 가정연합의 고액 헌금 등이 큰 사회적 논란을 일으켰다. 일본 문부과학성이 가정연합의 해산 명령을 청구했고 지난해 3월 도쿄지방재판소(지방법원)는 해산 명령을 내렸다. 지난 3월 도쿄고등재판소(고등법원)도 해산을 명령한 1심 판결을 유지했다.

당시 재판에서 헌금 피해를 본 사람이 최소 1500명을 넘고 피해액도 204억엔(약 1944억원)에 이르는 것으로 나타났다.

가정연합은 “사실과 증거에 의해 입증되지 않았으며, 증거재판주의에 반해 내려진 부당한 판단”이라며 최고재판소에 특별항고를 제기했으나 받아들여지지 않았다.

이번 판결로 앞서 진행 중이던 청산 절차는 속도를 낼 전망이다. 일본 법원이 선임한 청산인은 교단 자산 약 400억엔(약 3800억원)을 확보했다며 1년간 피해자들의 채권 신고를 받아 변제에 나설 계획이라고 밝혔다.

Japan Supreme Court upholds disbandment decision for Unification Church

June 23, 2026 (Mainichi Japan)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court order urging the controversial religious group Unification Church to disband, calling it "necessary and inevitable."

The group came under greater scrutiny for its links to ruling party politicians, especially since the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a man who held a grudge against it.

The decision by the Third Petty Bench of the top court was made on Monday.

The Unification Church appealed the dissolution order issued by the Tokyo High Court in March, which judged that the group's donation-soliciting activities were malicious and caused victims to suffer tremendously.

The church, meanwhile, claimed at the time that the high court order was against freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.

Joint Investigation Team Seeks Arrest Warrant for Shincheonji President Lee Manhee over People Power Party Membership Scandal

by Yeom Dayeon

Published 22 Jun.2026 11:29 (KST)

Accused of Forcing Followers to Join a Political Party

The joint investigation team of prosecutors and police, which is probing the alleged collusion between the Unification Church and Shincheonji, requested an arrest warrant for Lee Manhee, President of Shincheonji, on June 22 over suspicions related to Shincheonji members joining a political party. This comes 18 days after Lee was summoned and questioned as a suspect on charges of violating the Political Parties Act on June 4.

The joint investigation team announced on the same day, "In relation to the case of Shincheonji's coercion of members to join a specific political party, we have requested an arrest warrant for President Lee on charges including violation of the Political Parties Act."

President Lee is accused of forcing Shincheonji members to join the People Power Party as full members, with the intention of influencing the outcomes of the party's 20th presidential primary in 2021 and the 22nd general election primary in 2024.

The investigation team believes that Shincheonji encouraged its members to join the People Power Party under projects such as "Pilates" for each branch, and that, as a result, over 50,000 members became full members of the People Power Party between 2021 and 2023.

The warrant also lists obstruction of business charges, as the authorities believe these systematic membership activities disrupted the People Power Party's election work.

Since January, the investigation team has secured lists of Shincheonji members and People Power Party members through compulsory investigations at Shincheonji's main headquarters and the People Power Party's office.

Last month, the team summoned Ko Donghan, former chief administrator, twice as a suspect to investigate the process by which instructions to join the party were delivered. Ko, known as the second-ranking figure in Shincheonji, is said to have led the recruitment of members into the People Power Party under President Lee's orders.

The investigation team has previously succeeded in securing key figures such as Ko and former administrators of the John and Simon branches. Shincheonji, for its part, maintains that President Lee neither gave orders nor received reports regarding the membership of followers in the political party.

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Messiah Lee Man-hee arrested in South Korea for obstructing the coronavirus fight

Rival Korean messiah, Lee Man-hee, builds workshop next to UC / FFWPU Cheongpyeong Center

Special Prosecutor Summons Ex-Prosecutor General Over Cover-Up

The Chosun Daily

Probe into dismissed Dior bag, Deutsche Motors cases involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee

By Jeong Dong-ha

June 19, 2026

The second comprehensive special counsel, Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-yeong, notified former Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok on May 23 to appear for an investigation related to allegations of covering up the probe into former first lady Kim Keon-hee.

The special counsel stated on June 19, “We notified the former prosecutor general to appear on May 23 for a witness investigation,” adding, “We have yet to receive a response regarding his attendance.”

The allegations of covering up the probe into Mrs. Kim revolve around the fact that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office dismissed the cases involving suspicions of Mrs. Kim receiving a Dior bag and the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation without proper investigation, issuing a no-prosecution (no charges) decision.

The former prosecutor general instructed the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in May 2024 to form a dedicated investigation team to probe the suspicions of Mrs. Kim receiving a Dior bag. After the subsequent replacements of then-Chief Prosecutor Song Kyeong-ho and First Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Chang-jin, the prosecutors’ office dismissed all charges related to the Dior bag suspicions and the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation in October of the same year.

The special counsel plans to investigate whether there was pressure from higher-ups, including the presidential office of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, regarding the disposition of the case at the time.

...

The special counsel summoned former Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Chief Lee Chang-su as a suspect at 10 a.m. that day and is currently investigating him. This is the second time the former chief prosecutor has appeared before the special counsel, following his previous attendance on June 15.

The former chief prosecutor is suspected of drafting an internal ‘no-prosecution opinion document’ and being involved in the post-hoc modification of the investigation report during the process of dismissing the charges against Mrs. Kim in the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation case investigated by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (fabrication of official documents).

Meanwhile, the special counsel plans to investigate former National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun as a suspect on May 23 regarding allegations of covering up the probe into the Unification Church.