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An internal probe into Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party found that a portion of its lawmakers has interactions with the controversial Unification Church. A top official of the party said 179 of its 379 lawmakers interacted with the church.
An official of the LDP said Thursday that an internal survey into the party found that 179 out of 379 lawmakers interacted with the Unification Church. 17 lawmakers were also found to have received election help from the church, according to the party’s Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi.
The probe follows the revelations of the ties between the country’s ruling party and the Unification Church.
The ties between the LDP and the church came into the spotlight following the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe by a gunman who believed Abe was promoting the church, of which the gunman’s mother was also a member.
The revelations also led Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s approval ratings to sink to their lowest since taking office in 2021.
Motegi noted following the reveal of the number of LDP lawmakers that had interactions with the church that many did not understand the link between the interactions and the church. Speaking to reporters, Motegi said the LDP is going to “make sure nobody has connections with the Unification Church.”
The scrutiny over the church has also resulted in its former members speaking out. Seven former Unification Church members spoke with Reuters over their experiences with the church, with five of them saying that church officials instructed them to vote for LDP candidates.
In other related news, Kishida extended his condolences to the British Royal Family following the death of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday at 96 years old and 70 years on the throne.
Kishida said the longest-serving monarch played a big part in strengthening ties between the United Kingdom and Japan and that her death was a big loss for the international community.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing,” Kishida told reporters Friday. “The government of Japan expresses its heartfelt condolences to the British Royal Family, the British government, and the British people.”
The Duke of Cornwall, Prince Charles, will ascend to the throne as King Charles III.
