Japan Prime Minister orders investigation into Unification Church ties to party members

This week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered an investigation into the connections between the controversial Unification Church with some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The revelation of the ties follows the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Kishida announced Monday that he is ordering a probe to launch on the ties between members of the LDP and the Unification Church. The announcement of the probe comes as Kishida is suffering low approval ratings among the public amidst public outrage over the revelation that some members of the LDP did not fully disclose their ties to the church that was founded in South Korea in the 1950s and is known for their mass weddings.

Kishida directed the culture minister to launch a probe into the church under the Religious Corporations Act. Kishida told parliament that he intends to resolve the issues related to the church. Kishida said he has no personal relationship with the church.

Kishida also apologized for the fact that many members of the LDP have ties to the church, saying that this undermined the public’s trust in the government and that he was taking seriously the allegations that the church left many of its devotees financially struggling, many families of which are in turmoil.

Abe was shot during an election rally, and the gunman said his mother was bankrupted by the church and blamed the former prime minister for promoting the church.

The church – which critics said was a cult that relies on fund-raising – established ties with politicians to gain legitimacy and attract followers, according to attorney Hiroshi Yamaguchi who has worked on cases related to the church. Politicians have also benefited from getting access to followers for help with campaigns.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Tuesday that Tokyo would be imposing additional sanctions against North Korea over its recent missile tests. The additional sanctions Japan will impose on Pyongyang include freezing assets that belong to groups involved in the development of missiles.

“We cannot tolerate North Korea’s repeated provocative actions which threaten Japan’s security and international peace and safety,” said Matsuno.