About half of Japan’s ruling party lawmakers were associated with the Unification Church, an official said Thursday after the killing of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe drew closer scrutiny for the religious organization sometimes known as the Moonies.
The man suspected of shooting Abe in July is said to have targeted the former prime minister because he believed he was linked to the cult.
Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi said an investigation found some lawmakers had accepted campaign support from the church and its affiliates.
Other LDP lawmakers had attended meetings or paid dues to the organization, whose members are sometimes colloquially referred to as “Moonies” after Korean founder Sun Myung Moon.
Of 379 LDP lawmakers elected, 179 had “some sort of connection” to the Unification Church, Motegi told reporters.
“We take the results seriously. We are sincerely sorry and we will ensure that the party no longer has any relationship with the church at all,” he said.
Last week, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said LDP members must cut ties with the group after controversial revelations about their ties to a number of Japanese politicians.
The Unification Church has condemned Abe’s murder and dismissed allegations of coerced fundraising tactics among its members, but approval ratings for Kishida’s government have plummeted in recent weeks as more details emerged.
“Nearly 90 percent” of LDP MPs who attended gatherings hosted by church-related organizations told the survey they were unaware of the host’s affiliation, Motegi said.
“We lacked awareness, and that’s all the more reason more effort needs to be made to raise awareness of the issue,” he added.
Kishida’s approval ratings have also fallen amid anger over a Sept. 27 state funeral for Abe, which the government expects will cost up to 1.7 billion yen ($12 million).
The assassination reignited years of controversy about the Unification Church, including allegations that some of its faithful went broke after making ruinous donations to the group.
Last month, the organization’s Japanese branch said it had “made a concerted effort to ensure that donations that were large in relation to a person’s wealth were not made.”
The church says Abe was never a registered member or advisor, although he spoke at events organized by affiliated groups.
