South Korean prosecutors Monday accused the country’s former first lady of having accepted lavish bribes totaling over $200,000, including fine art, jewellery and a handbag, as well as meddling in state affairs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/29/asia-pacific/crime-legal/south-korea-former-first-lady/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #crimelegal #southkorea #kimkeonhee #yoonsukyeol #unificationchurch
South Korean police launched a raid on Monday to search the offices and compounds of the Unification Church in and near Seoul. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/15/asia-pacific/crime-legal/south-korea-unification-church/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #crimelegal #southkorea #unificationchurch #leejaemyung
A South Korean minister has announced his resignation after being accused of receiving illegal funds from the Unification Church, a cult-like movement linked to widespread influence-peddling. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/11/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-minister-unification-church/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #southkorea #unificationchurch #corruption
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for an investigation into the suspected illegal links between a religious group and politicians. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/10/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-religous-group/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #southkorea #unificationchurch
Tomihiro Tanaka, Japan head of the Unification Church, resigned from his post on Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/09/japan/unification-church-japan-head-resign/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #unificationchurch #shinzoabeassassination #japanesecourts
The wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with murdering Abe, for the first time on Wednesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/03/japan/crime-legal/akie-abe-trial/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #japanesecourts #nara #tetsuyayamagami #shinzoabe #unificationchurch #shinzoabeassassination #akieabe
“I should not have lived this long,” said Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as he took the stand for the first time during his trial at the Nara District Court. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/21/japan/crime-legal/yamagami-speaks-first-time/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #japanesecourts #nara #tetsuyayamagami #shinzoabe #unificationchurch
Court hearings are expected to end in November over an order to dissolve the Unification Church, which allegedly inspired the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe three years ago. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/29/japan/crime-legal/unification-church-dissolution/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #unificationchurch #japanesecourts
More than three years after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the trial of the man accused of the crime is set to begin following a lengthy psychiatric evaluation and pretrial proceedings. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/27/japan/crime-legal/yamagami-trial-preview/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #shinzoabe #tetsuyayamagami #unificationchurch #japanesecourts #nara
The first settlements have been reached in petitions filed by former followers of the Unification Church demanding refunds of donations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/03/japan/crime-legal/unification-church-first-donation-refund-settlements/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #unificationchurch #japanesecourts
Japanese victims of the Unification Church's donation program have called for fundamental solutions regarding the controversial religious group after its leader was arrested in South Korea on Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/23/japan/unification-church-japan-victims-react/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #unificationchurch #southkorea #hanhakja #yooksukyeol
The leader of the Unification Church was jailed after a South Korean issued a warrant to detain her in relation to graft allegations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/23/asia-pacific/crime-legal/south-korea-unification-church-jailed/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #crimelegal #unificationchurch #southkorea #hanhakja #yoonsukyeol
Prosecutors have questioned the leader of the Unification Church, Han Hak-ja, over her alleged involvement in bribing the wife of ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of a criminal probe into the couple. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/17/asia-pacific/crime-legal/unification-church-south-korea-first-lady/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #crimelegal #unificationchurch #hanhakja #yoonsukyeol #southkorea
It’s been three years since the shocking assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — and yet, the trial of the 44-year-old man accused of the crime still hasn’t begun. Here are where things stand. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/08/japan/crime-legal/japan-pm-abe-shooting-three-years/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #shinzoabe#tetsuyayamagami #nara#unificationchurch #japanesecourts