Japan’s PM Considers Launching Investigation Into Controversial Unification Church

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering launching an investigation into the Unification Church.

The Unification Church is a religious group under increasing public scrutiny for its ties to the ruling party and for the financial problems of its followers, government sources said on Saturday.

Kishida’s change in stance comes at a time when he is battling falling Cabinet support ratings due to his reluctance to address church-related issues, which resurfaced after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. More than three months ago.

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Kishida is scheduled to announce the plan Monday at a House Budget Committee session, saying he will direct the education and culture minister to investigate the religious group if necessary, according to the sources.

His government has previously been wary of ordering such an investigation for fear of violating freedom of religion.

The Unification Church is a religious group under increasing public scrutiny for its ties to the ruling party.

Should the investigation be carried out and depending on its outcome, the government could issue a dissolution order under the religious corporations law to the group, founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon and often described as by critics as a sect, now formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, according to the sources.