U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern on Monday about recent investigations in South Korea, which he claimed involved police raids on churches and a military base.
Speaking to reporters before meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House, Trump remarked, “Police probably shouldn’t have done that, but I heard bad things. I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ll be finding out.”
Trump further stated that he had heard reports of “very vicious raids on churches by the new government in South Korea” and suggested that authorities had also accessed information from a military base. He added, “They even went into our military base and got information.”
The comments follow a series of police actions in South Korea, including the raid of Sarang Jeil Church earlier this month. The church, led by evangelical pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, has been a center for protests supporting the former president, Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the raids were part of an investigation into pro-Yoon activists who had stormed a court building in January following the extension of Yoon’s detention.
Additionally, South Korean prosecutors investigating Yoon’s declaration of martial law executed a search warrant at a military base in July. While the search was authorized by the South Korean military, reports indicated that it occurred without coordination with U.S. authorities, even though the base is jointly operated by both nations.
Earlier on Monday, Trump shared his thoughts on the situation in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying, “WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
