Key facts
- Lee Man-hee, founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, has been arrested by court order.
- He is accused of orchestrating a scheme for followers to join the conservative People Power Party.
- The charges include violating the Political Parties Act and obstruction.
- The court cited the risk of evidence destruction as justification for the arrest.
- Investigators claim over 50,000 members were mobilized between 2021 and 2024.
A South Korean court has ordered the arrest of Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, on allegations of orchestrating an illegal scheme to mobilize tens of thousands of followers to join the conservative People Power Party. The court cited the risk of evidence destruction as the reason for the arrest.
Lee is accused of violating the Political Parties Act, which prohibits religious groups from engaging in politics, and obstruction. Investigators claim that between 2021 and 2024, over 50,000 Shincheonji members were directed to support People Power Party candidates during the 2022 presidential and 2024 parliamentary nomination contests. Lee, who founded the church in the 1980s and has denied wrongdoing, is suspected of being at the center of this alleged collusion between religion and politics.
Shincheonji previously gained notoriety during South Korea's 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, when a significant portion of early cases were linked to its followers. Lee had been acquitted in 2021 on charges related to violating public health laws. This case is part of a broader investigation into religious interference in politics, with prosecutors also examining similar claims against the Unification Church.