Japan court dissolves Unification Church; Korea branch could face financial strain

A Japanese court upheld an order to dissolve the Unification Church over its controversial fundraising practices, clearing the way for liquidation proceedings against the religious group years after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe brought its activities under renewed scrutiny.

According to public broadcaster NHK, the Tokyo High Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court decision ordering the dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, more widely known as the Unification Church.

The court said the group had encouraged its followers to solicit large donations through fundraising methods that could constitute illegal acts, causing substantial financial losses and psychological distress to many people.

Judges said it was difficult to expect the organization to establish measures to prevent such illegal acts, adding that dissolution was therefore inevitable. NHK reported that the ruling marks the third instance a Japanese court ordered the dissolution of a religious group of its legal status as a religious corporation, and first time such a decision was based on illegal acts under civil law.

The ruling took effect immediately, allowing the liquidation process to begin. A court-nominated trustee will now investigate, dispose of the group’s assets and oversee compensation to victims.

Officials of the Japanese branch of the church will be required to step down, while the group will lose its legal status as a religious corporation, along with related tax benefits.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in a press conference that day that the government’s position has been recognized by the court and instructed relevant ministries to continue efforts to support victims.

Unification Church vows to appeal

The government’s move to seek dissolution followed the July 2022 assassination of Abe during a campaign speech in Nara. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told investigators he harbored resentment toward the Church because his mother had made large donations that he said devastated the family’s finances.

Believing Abe had ties to the organization, Yamagami targeted the former prime minister, bringing the church’s coercive fundraising practices into sharp public focus.

In October 2023, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology filed a request with the court to dissolve the group. The church has fought the case in court for several years.

Church representatives condemned the ruling and said they would appeal.

“It is unacceptable that such a decision could occur in a country governed by the rule of law,” the church said in a statement. The group's legal adviser said the organization had faithfully engaged in compensation efforts for those claiming damages and would continue to fight the ruling to defend religious freedom.

Even if the dissolution order stands, the church’s religious activities will not be banned outright, and the organization could continue operating as a voluntary group. If the church appeals and Japan’s Supreme Court overturns the decision, the liquidation process would be halted.

Loss of key funding base could hit church finances

Some analysts say the ruling could also weaken the organization’s finances in Korea.

Tak Chi-il, a professor at Busan Presbyterian University who studies religious movements including the Unification Church, told NHK that Japan has long been the group’s most important base for raising funds.

“If that base collapses, it could directly lead to a deterioration in the finances of the church in Korea,” he said.

Japanese media have also raised the possibility of similar discussions in Korea. The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper noted that President Lee Jae Myung mentioned the potential dissolution of “antisocial religious organizations” in remarks last December.

Korean law allows authorities to revoke the legal status of religious groups that seriously harm the public interest, though the requirements are strict. Japanese media also said there have been no confirmed moves by the Korean government to pursue such action against the Unification Church.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.