On October 12, the Mainichi Shimbun reported that the Unification Church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has appointed Moon Shin-chul, the grandson of leader Han Hak-ja, as the head of its newly established 'World Headquarters.' This move comes as Han, 83, is currently hospitalized while facing legal proceedings.
According to a church document obtained by Mainichi dated September 29, the Unification Church created the World Headquarters and appointed Moon to the position on the same day. His brother, Moon Shin-heung, has also been named the director of the Cheongshim Cultural Center, which oversees cultural content promotion.
Moon Shin-chul is believed to be in his 20s and is the son of the late Moon Sun-myung, the church's founder, and Han. His father has also passed away.
Mainichi reported that Han appears to have designated the Moon brothers as successors before her arrest last April. The two brothers have been actively involved in various churches under the title of 'missionary.'
Han was arrested in September of last year and was released in late March for medical treatment, but she remains hospitalized. In August, she was sentenced to two years in prison by the Seoul Central District Court for violating political funding laws by allegedly offering bribes to the previous government led by Yoon Suk-yeol, and she has appealed the ruling.
Earlier, Japanese private broadcaster TBS reported on the same appointment on October 6. According to TBS, the South Korean government is aware of Moon Shin-chul's appointment as head of the World Headquarters, and officials view this move as an effort to pass the church leadership to a direct descendant.
The Japanese church confirmed to TBS that the establishment of the World Headquarters and Moon Shin-chul's appointment are factual. However, they stated that it is difficult to comment on the purpose of the appointment, adding that they believe it will have minimal impact on the church's operations in Japan, which are run autonomously.
Professor Tak Ji-il of Busan Presbyterian University, who has studied the Unification Church, told Mainichi, 'Moon Shin-chul is still young and lacks experience. In reality, it will likely be a collective leadership supported by other executives.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.