Anchor: Police are interrogating former Oceans and Fisheries Minister Chun Jae-soo about whether he received money and gifts from the Unification Church. As an investigation into a scandal surrounding the organization widens its net, Chun arrived at Seoul Seodaemun Police Station on Friday morning and denied wrongdoing.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: Surrounded by a swarm of reporters, Rep. Chun Jae-soo denied that the Unification Church bribed him to curry favor for a South Korea–Japan undersea tunnel project.

[Sound bite: Democratic Party Rep. Chun Jae-soo (Korean-English)] 
"They are claiming that I received 20 million won in cash and a watch as a bribe in exchange for supporting the Korea-Japan undersea tunnel project. This is clearly not true. The Korea-Japan undersea tunnel project is selling out the future of Busan."

On his way to his interrogation on Friday, Chun told reporters that he has consistently opposed the tunnel, a long-standing church initiative.

[Sound bite: Democratic Party Rep. Chun Jae-soo (Korean-English)] 
"As you all know, I ran for office three times in Busan, which is considered a politically challenging area, and finally won on my fourth attempt. I endured a period of immense hardship and arduous perseverance. Does it make any sense that I would trade all that hard work and perseverance for 20 million won in cash and a watch?"

The former oceans minister resigned last week after suspicions emerged about his ties to the scandal-ridden religious group.

He was in the process of relocating the oceans and fisheries ministry from Seoul to Busan and had emerged as a top potential candidate for mayor of the southern port city in next year's election.

In its warrant to search locations tied to Chun earlier this week, police accused the former minister of receiving 20 million won in cash, or roughly 13-thousand-500 U.S. dollars, and a luxury watch valued at around ten million won, or six-thousand-760 dollars, from the church.

Chun is one of a handful of heavyweight ruling and opposition politicians a former Unification Church second-in-command claimed to have lobbied.

The allegations emerged as authorities were getting to the bottom of the church's ties to the now-ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.