A Resolute Proclamation of Truth and a Report on the Court Proceedings
This June, in the 14th Year of Cheon Il Guk, the heartfelt devotion of all family members has come together in prayer for True Mother’s health and for our church to be more clearly understood. Sustained by these earnest prayers, True Mother has gradually regained her strength and, on June 12, was at last able to appear in court.
We offer here a summary of how True Mother came her hospital bed in order to bear witness to the truth, plus an update on the progress of the trial.
True Mother’s Testimony and Key Issues in the Trial
At the June 12 hearing, True Mother personally appeared in court. Immediately after taking the witness oath, she firmly and unequivocally denied the central allegations, stating: “I have never given 100 million won to Kwon Seong-dong. I have never provided any gifts to First Lady Kim Keon-hee. Nor have I ever made political donations to any politician.”
She further clarified that the present situation has resulted from the former director-general’s inaccurate claims and incorrect statements.
The defense argued that the Special Prosecutors had distorted the movement’s core religious concepts—“Cheon Il Guk” and “national restoration”—mischaracterizing them as secular political lobbying. They focused on demonstrating, through legal reasoning, that the substance of the case had originated from the former director-general’s unilateral decision-making and personal misconduct.
The defense particularly highlighted the former director-general’s habitual practice of carrying out actions without prior approval and reporting them afterward only if they yielded results—an arbitrary and autocratic working style. Most critically, they identified a decisive contradiction: the “Special Report” file for the relevant date, presented as key evidence, contained no reference to the provision of funds to former lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, thereby undermining the opposing side’s claims.
On this basis, the defense is establishing in court that the case constitutes an act of embezzlement solely by the former director-general—once the most powerful figure within the organization—who misappropriated church funds to maintain his power and accumulate personal wealth. They have made a clear case that True Mother neither directed nor conspired in any of these actions.
Key Testimonies Supporting the Defense’s Position
During the recent trial proceedings, the defense’s central arguments have been further substantiated through detailed testimonies from witnesses who were directly responsible for financial and operational matters at the time.
A former executive in charge of planning and a close aide to the former director-general testified: “True Mother’s actual words did not match with the direction pursued by Yoon Young-ho.”
He further revealed that, in an effort to justify his unilateral actions, Yoon had circulated separate internal guidelines titled “Interpretation of the Words.” These guidelines selectively distorted and imposed interpretations of True Mother’s religious message to suit his own purposes. This testimony supports the conclusion that these actions constituted one person’s deviation carried out under the pretext of acting in True Mother’s name.
A former executive in charge of finances at the International Headquarters testified that the funds disbursed immediately prior to the presidential election were not executed under True Mother’s instruction, but rather pursuant to the direct orders of the former director-general. The executive further clarified that, under the organization’s financial regulations, such amounts could be approved and disbursed solely at the director-general’s discretion. This testimony lends weight to the argument that the incidents the case is reviewing resulted from unilateral misconduct.
Working-level finance staff went on to testify to irregular accounting practices and signs of personal embezzlement by the former director-general and his spouse—including double reimbursements for luxury purchases and personal expenses ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won. They further noted a practice of requesting funds opaquely under headings such as missionary activity support without attaching supporting documentation, and disclosed that within a top-down hierarchical structure, funds were being disbursed in a non-transparent manner among operations staff.
Becoming Blessed Families Who Convey Heaven’s Will
Beloved family members,
Though True Mother delivered her statement in court with composure, her health has not yet fully recovered. Even so, she devoted the greater part of her speaking time not to the secular legal contest over facts, but to once again conveying Heaven’s truth to everyone present in that courtroom—and to all of humanity. Through the pain in her body and the weight upon her heart, she poured every ounce of her strength into proclaiming Heaven’s Will, the providence, and the true value of the life True Parents have lived.
Immediately after the hearing concluded, Mother returned to the hospital to focus once more on her recovery and treatment. We ask all family members to gather your hearts in prayer for her full and complete healing.
Rather than being unsettled by the commotion of the courtroom, let us now wholly inherit the noble heart of True Mother, who has offered her whole self to bear witness to Heaven’s Will. Let us fully heed True Mother’s appeal to bear witness to the identity and responsibilities of the chosen people, and to the value of the lives of True Parents and of blessed families—and become the most steadfast pillar of support in True Mother’s solitary struggle. Let us trust in the power of truth and walk this path together with one heart. Aju.
Kim Dong-yeon
Vice President, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, Korea
Email: hjbriefing@gmail.com