Seoul, December 10 (NationPress) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has mandated a comprehensive investigation on Wednesday concerning alleged illicit connections between a particular religious organization and politicians, as revealed by his office. This order comes amid rising conjecture that members from both the ruling and opposition parties may have received unlawful political financing from the Unification Church.

President Lee emphasized that the investigation should proceed "in a meticulous manner, irrespective of party affiliation or the ranking of officials involved," according to a press release from the presidential office, although the specific religious group was not mentioned, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

Even though Lee refrained from directly naming the Unification Church, his directive follows new claims suggesting that lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) received illegal political contributions from the church, which is currently under scrutiny by a special counsel for allegedly providing funds to members of the People Power Party ahead of the 2022 presidential elections.

These statements signify Lee’s ongoing effort to dismantle long-standing corrupt relationships between the political realm and religious entities, seemingly aimed at the Unification Church.

According to a senior official from the presidential office, who requested anonymity, "The president is firmly dedicated to eliminating collusive ties between politics and religion this time around, which underscores the seriousness with which he is approaching this issue."

He believes that if any wrongful interactions with religious organizations or illegal activities are confirmed, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties should face equal scrutiny, the official elaborated.

During a recent Cabinet meeting, Lee characterized the systematic meddling in politics by certain religious groups as a breach of the Constitution and urged a reassessment of measures to disband religious organizations found guilty of illegal conduct, referencing a similar case in Japan.

In March, a Japanese court mandated the dissolution of the Unification Church due to manipulative fundraising practices and other unlawful acts, revoking its tax-exempt status.

At Tuesday's Cabinet session, Lee revisited this topic, inquiring whether Minister of Government Legislation Cho Won-cheol had examined his directives regarding the potential dissolution of religious groups engaged in political interference or illicit funding.

On the same day, a former Unification Church official implicated in a corruption scandal involving the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was anticipated to identify the DP lawmakers he alleges received funds from the church during a concluding trial session.

Yun Young-ho, the previous head of the Unification Church's global headquarters, stands accused of presenting luxury gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee, Yoon's spouse, in exchange for business favors in 2022.

This revelation could severely damage both the DP and the Lee administration, which have portrayed special counsel inquiries into Yun and church leader Han Hak-ja as indicative of corrupt associations between a religious group and the former Yoon administration.

On Tuesday, the special counsel forwarded a case concerning alleged connections between the Unification Church and DP lawmakers to law enforcement, following criticism that its investigation had previously focused solely on opposition members.