Election Campaign Fuels Unificationism Claims

Vote-winning strategy used in South Korean local election campaign brings Unificationism claims into highly competitive Seoul mayoral race

On 19^th May 2026, two South Korean media outlets – Pyeonghwa Namu (Peace Tree) and ChosunBiz – reported on escalating political controversy surrounding the “Garden of Gratitude” (감사의 정원) project at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square and allegations linking the project to Unificationism (통일교), the name the Korean media generally use to refer to the religious movement officially called Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

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While both articles focused on accusations raised by Democratic Party figures against conservative Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (오세훈), each outlet emphasized different aspects of the dispute. Observers see the new focus on the issue closely tied to the ongoing campaign for the 3^rd June 2026 local elections, especially the highly competitive Seoul mayoral race. The controversy therefore functions as an electoral strategy aimed at weakening Mayor Oh politically before voters go to the polls.

In an article titled “Controversy Over Alleged Ties Between Unificationism and the Gwanghwamun ‘Garden of Gratitude’ Project”, reporter Shin Bi-rom (신비롬) of Pyeonghwa Namu concentrated on claims of possible collusion between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Unificationism through the project’s contractor, Ilshin Stone (일신석재).

The article explained that Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Yeong-gyo (서영교) and Seoul City Council member Lim Gyu-ho (임규호) held a press conference on 17^th May in which they questioned why Ilshin Stone had been awarded the contract to construct and install 23 stone pillars for the memorial-style project.

According to Pyeonghwa Namu, the opposition politicians argued that Ilshin Stone’s largest shareholder is affiliated with Unificationism, and that the company won the bid despite reportedly submitting a proposal approximately 1 billion won (ca. 660,000 in US dollars) more expensive than a competing bidder. Lim Gyu-ho further criticized the use of an emergency bidding process, arguing that such procedures are normally reserved for urgent matters such as disaster prevention or recovery, whereas the Garden of Gratitude project allegedly lacked urgency and had not completed all administrative procedures. Seo Yeong-gyo additionally emphasized that Ilsin Stone was founded by Sun Myung Moon (문선명), the late co-founder of the Family Federation, and questioned why a significantly more expensive bid was selected.

The Pyeonghwa Namu article also revisited earlier controversy involving Oh Se-hoon and Unificationism, noting that the mayor had previously drawn criticism in 2021 for sending congratulatory remarks to an event hosted by the religious organization. The report framed the current allegations within a broader narrative of possible political and institutional proximity between Oh and Unificationism-affiliated interests.

In South Korea’s media landscape, Pyeonghwa Namu (Peace Tree) is generally viewed as progressive / reformist, critical of conservative evangelical political activism, advocating separation between church power and politics. The outlet frequently covers influence of religious groups on elections and controversies involving groups labeled “cults”.

ChosunBiz, in contrast, approached the issue of the Garden of Gratitude primarily as an ongoing political dispute during Seoul’s mayoral campaign. In the article by reporter Hwang Chae-yeong (황채영), “Democratic Party: ‘The stone pillars in the Garden of Gratitude were made by a company tied to Unificationism’ […] Oh Se-hoon: ‘They have extensive construction experience’”, the focus was placed on statements made during a Democratic Party (DPK) election committee meeting for Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Weon-oh (정원오).

Like Pyeonghwa Namu, ChosunBiz reported Seo Yeong-gyo’s allegations that the contractor behind the Garden of Gratitude project had links to the Family Federation through its founders, Sun Myung Moon (문선명) and Hak Ja Han (한학자), and through its ownership structure. The article also repeated claims that two companies competed for the contract, but that the more expensive 3.9 billion won (ca. 2,6 million US dollars) proposal submitted by the contractor was selected over a competing 2.9 billion won (ca. 1,9 million US dollars) bid.

However, ChosunBiz gave greater attention to conservative Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s response. The article reported that the mayor defended the selection of the contractor by arguing that the company possessed the strongest construction track record and most extensive experience in the relevant field in South Korea. Whereas Pyeonghwa Namu emphasized suspicions of improper ties and irregular bidding procedures, ChosunBiz presented the issue more as a political exchange between the Democratic Party (DPK) and the People Power Party (PPP) during an election campaign.

Together, the two reports illustrate how the same controversy was framed differently depending on editorial perspective: Pyeonghwa Namu highlighting alleged institutional and religious connections, and ChosunBiz focusing more narrowly on campaign rhetoric, procurement questions, and the mayor’s defense of the contractor’s qualifications.

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See also Alleged Bias: Investigating the Investigators

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Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: AI illustration of 23 stone pillars at Garden of Gratitude at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Illustration: Grok xAI, 19th May 2026. 

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