April 7, 2023

South Korean declassified diplomatic documents on April 6 revealed that now-deceased Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Kanamaru Shin served as a guarantor for the late Myung Sun Moon, the founder of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church or Moonies), to come to Japan in 1992.

Moon at that time was facing a prison sentence in the United States, and his entrance to Japan was supposedly not permitted. Japan's Justice Ministry initially disapproved his application for a visa. However, Kanamaru claimed that he would provide security for Moon and Japan's Foreign Ministry did not object to Kanamaru's plan, and the Justice Ministry issued Moon's entry permit in the end.

Soon after the cult leader's entry, Japanese Communist Party lawmakers in the Diet criticized the government for bending the Japanese immigration rules.

The Moonies "spiritual sales" and "group weddings" had already become serious social issues in Japan. Even under such circumstances, Moon after successfully entering Japan held talks with Kanamaru and former Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro and gave a 1-hour talk to 31 LDP Dietmembers.

Not only this, although Moon signed a written pledge to not conduct missionary work while in Japan, he preached to Unification Church believers at Moonies facilities in Tokyo, Nagoya, and several locations in the Kansai region. Reportedly, his entry to Japan was for the first time in 13 years and a half, and his followers enthusiastically welcomed his visit to their communities.

His re-entry turned out to fuel brain-washing activities, causing more Moonies-related damage. Both the LDP and the relevant ministries should be aware of having intervened in the country's immigration control. They should also reflect on their misconduct which resulted in creating many more Moonies victims.