Kwon Seong-dong caught at a golf course owned by the Unification Church

Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, is under suspicion of receiving illegal political funds from the Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification). He was spotted playing golf at a golf course owned by the Unification Church.

According to a video released by the online media outlet 'New Investigation' on the 11th, Kwon was seen arriving at Yongpyong Country Club in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, at around 6:42 AM on the 10th.

In the video, Kwon was seen getting out of a vehicle that appeared to be an official car and receiving a locker room key from someone at the front desk of the clubhouse before heading straight to the locker room.

Shortly after, individuals who seemed to be part of Kwon's party were captured on camera discussing whether "Kwon will have a meal before teeing off" as they moved to the starting point for their round.

Among the group that day was a businessman who claimed to operate a waste management company in Kwon's electoral district of Gangneung.

After changing into golf attire, Kwon joined the waiting group at the tee-off point. He was wearing a white mask that mostly covered his face, along with sunglasses and a hat.

Around 1 PM, after finishing the round, Kwon returned home by car. New Investigation reported that someone else paid for his golfing expenses that day.

Golf course visit coincidentally linked to suspicions of illegal political funds from the Unification Church

The golf course Kwon visited is reported to be owned by the Unification Church. Kwon is currently under suspicion of having received illegal political funds from the Unification Church in 2022, making this visit even more noteworthy.

On the 30th of last month, Yoon, a former head of the Unification Church's global headquarters, who was arrested for violating political funding laws, admitted during a special investigation team's inquiry that he had provided funds to members of the then-ruling People Power Party, including Kwon.

In response, Kwon has stated that he has not received any political funds from the Unification Church.

In relation to this matter, the Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint against Kwon on the 8th and initiated criminal accusations.

Han Jun-ho, a senior member of the Democratic Party, remarked at the party's supreme council meeting, "It has been since July 31 that Kwon has gone missing," and pointed out, "Once the allegations of receiving illegal political funds surfaced, he left a brief message and has gone into hiding."

On the day the New Investigation report was published, Han posted on Facebook, "I was curious about what he was doing, and it turns out he was playing golf at a golf course with various businesspeople," and criticized, "While investigations are ongoing, he also uses the golf course, and the ties between him and the Unification Church seem excessively close."

Kwon Seong-dong refutes claims of receiving hospitality, calling them comedic

In response, Kwon strongly refuted on Facebook on the 12th, saying, "This is completely untrue."

Kwon explained that "the schedule was a private gathering that had been planned long in advance, and the facility in question is an open venue frequently accessed by the public."

He then asked, "How open would a place be if New Investigation shows up with hidden cameras? What kind of misconduct could happen there?"

Regarding the wearing of a mask and sunglasses, he stated, "Given the recent weather, it's not unusual at all," adding, "While they themselves acknowledge that it's not an exceptional occurrence, to overly emphasize it is just an absurdity."

Kwon emphasized, "Claiming that I received hospitality amounting to 350,000 won, including a meal cost of 20,000 won, is close to comedy," asserting, "I paid directly for my share, and I have kept the receipt."

He pointed out, "With issues piling up such as the pardon of Cho Kuk and Yoon Mi-hyang, confusion over tax reform plans, and insider trading, there seems to be an intention to deflect criticism through political maneuvering."

Finally, Kwon expressed regret regarding the Democratic Party's comment about him being "hard to trace," stating, "I met them in the members' office building's sauna all last week, so what kind of nonsense is that?"

Image source: Kwon Seong-dong of the People Power Party / News1, screenshot from New Investigation YouTube video