Shinzo Abe assassination intensified scrutiny of the Unification Church

Shinzo Abe's 2022 assassination focused attention on the Unification Church and led to political and legal scrutiny in Japan and South Korea.

Shinzo Abe's assassination in July 2022 brought renewed attention to the Unification Church and its political connections. The movement, once influential in Japan, South Korea and beyond, has since faced legal and political pressure in Asia. Japanese authorities moved to dissolve parts of the group's operations and a Tokyo court upheld a dissolution order; the church is appealing. In South Korea prosecutors have brought charges that the church denies and its leader has applied for bail on health grounds. Key facts: - Shinzo Abe was killed in July 2022, and his attacker told police he targeted Abe because of the former leader's ties to the Unification Church. - Japanese ministers pursued measures to dissolve the church's operations, and a Tokyo court upheld a dissolution order last March; the organization is appealing that decision. - South Korean prosecutors have alleged a bribery-related plot involving the group's leadership; Hak Ja Han has denied interest in South Korean politics and has applied for bail on health grounds. - The movement has experienced sustained internal splits since founder Sun Myung Moon's death, with competing factions in different countries and U.S. courts declining to resolve theological disputes. Summary: The assassination brought long-standing ties between the Unification Church and political figures into public view, prompting resignations and legal actions in Japan and drawing prosecutors' attention in South Korea. Those developments, together with internal factional disputes, have strained the movement's operations across multiple countries. Appeals and prosecutions are ongoing. Undetermined at this time.