Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has acknowledged meeting a former Unification Church higher-up once, while he was not holding public office, but denied receiving money from the organization.

In a notice to reporters on Thursday, the minister said that he first met Yun Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church’s global headquarters, on September 30, 2021, at the church’s headquarters in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.

Chung said the two had spoken for about ten minutes over tea, with another church official present, and discussed general inter-Korean issues. 

Chung added that the meeting had taken place during a trip with his high school friends, at the suggestion of one of his companions, and stressed that he had never met church leader Han Hak-ja. 

Yun told a special counsel team in August that he had provided tens of millions of won to former and current Democratic Party lawmakers, including Chung, as well as to former lawmakers of the United Future Party, the predecessor to the People Power Party.

Chung rejected the report as baseless and said he will pursue civil and criminal action against the outlet responsible.