Unification Church formed VIP line to lobby tunnel

The Unification Church reportedly formed a lobbying group, called the “VIP line,” in October 2021 to promote its long-standing plan for a South Korea-Japan undersea tunnel, as party primaries were underway ahead of the 20th presidential election.

Footage obtained by The Dong-A Ilbo on the 25th shows that the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), affiliated with the Unification Church, held a symposium titled “Establishing a New Unified Korea and the South Korea-Japan Undersea Tunnel” on October 13, 2021, at a convention hall in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

The event occurred three days after President Lee Jae-myung won the Democratic Party of Korea primary and about a month before the People Power Party presidential primary, a time when both parties were concentrating on consolidating support among their voter bases.

At the event, Unification Church official Park [last name withheld] said, “We have already formed a VIP line made up of politicians and others to promote the South Korea-Japan undersea tunnel,” emphasizing that “we need to mobilize key figures to push legislation and policy and consolidate votes around them.”

Park added, “We will form a committee of 10,000 people who can concentrate votes for the president or provincial governors. Gathering about 150 people in each of the 72 cities and counties is sufficient,” providing specific mobilization numbers.

These plans were formalized in the regular meeting report of the Undersea Tunnel Research Association, now known as the Shinhan-Japan Future Forum, later that year. The report included statements such as “gradual approach, including political connections before the 2022 presidential election” and “submission of a ‘South Korea-Japan Tunnel policy proposal’ to the presidential campaign.”

Although the Undersea Tunnel Research Association presents itself as a civilian research and seminar group, it is known to operate as an external organization of the Unification Church. Former UPF chairman Song Kwang-seok, considered a key figure in the church’s alleged political lobbying, is listed as a director of the association.

The Unification Church said, “We have operated within the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution and the legal order, and given the ongoing investigation, it is difficult to comment in detail.”


천종현 punch@donga.co