The South Korean headquarters of a religious group formerly called the Unification Church has allegedly been stepping up efforts to collect donations from its followers in the country since last year.

The group is apparently in dire financial straits as its Japan branch is believed to have stopped transferring money to South Korea.

An individual who has long been associated with the group, now called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, told NHK that it is soliciting donations in South Korea under the pretext of expelling evil spirits.

The group reportedly claims that there are a total of 13 evil spirits, which haunt people due to the actions of their ancestors.

It is requesting about 120,000 won, or roughly 90.5 dollars, for the removal of each spirit.

A video produced by the group features testimonials from followers claiming to have recovered from illnesses after the evil spirits were removed, presented using animations.

The individual told NHK that many within the religious group are furious over the attempt to collect money through such a questionable method.

The group's financial situation is said to be worsening, with workers in organizations related to the group facing wage reductions of 10 to 20 percent since last year.

The source also said many Japanese followers living in South Korea have to adhere to donation requests despite economic hardships, and that there is no end in sight to their struggles.