Lee Man-hee, founder and chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus enters the Seoul Center District Court for his warrant hearing on June 24.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Lee Man-hee, founder and chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was arrested Wednesday on allegations that he ordered more than 50,000 church followers to register as members of the People Power Party (PPP).
The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Lee, citing concerns that he could destroy related evidence. Lee's arrest is expected to accelerate a joint prosecution-police investigation into alleged collusion between religion and politics.
Lee, who is under investigation on charges of violating the Political Parties Act and obstruction of business, appeared at the warrant hearing using a cane. He did not answer reporters' questions, including whether he had personally ordered followers to join the PPP or whether the move was intended to support former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The joint investigation headquarters, probing alleged collusion between religion and politics, said it believes Lee directly ordered the mass enrollment of party members. Investigators allege Lee's instructions to join the PPP were passed to Shincheonji's secretary general and tribal leaders before being relayed to regional organizations, including its men's, women's and youth groups.
Investigators believe more than 50,000 Shincheonji followers registered as PPP members between 2021 and 2024 under an initiative known as the "Pilates Project." The religious group reportedly used the name to mask its drive to recruit PPP members and made it appear as if organizers were simply gathering members for a Pilates club.
Lee denied the allegations during questioning by investigators on June 4. However, the joint investigation team is said to have secured testimony from multiple current and former Shincheonji officials claiming Lee personally ordered the membership drive.
Article 42 of the Political Parties Act prohibits forcing people to join a political party against their will or without their consent. Violators face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 2 million won ($1,300).
Lee Man-hee, founder and chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, arrives at the Seoul Center District Court for his warrant hearing on June 24.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Shincheonji claimed that Lee had cooperated with investigators despite his age and posed no risk of destroying evidence or fleeing, but the court rejected that argument.
Lee, born in 1931, is 95 years old. Five inmates nationwide are currently aged 90 or older, including four men and one woman, according to the Ministry of Justice. The oldest inmate is 96.
With Lee now in custody, investigators are expected to examine whether political figures were involved in Shincheonji's alleged mass enrollment campaign.
While multiple witnesses have testified that Shincheonji enrolled followers as PPP members, investigators haven't determined whether the effort was carried out at the request of politicians or political operatives.
The court also arrested three former Shincheonji officials on June 17 on charges of violating the Political Parties Act and obstruction of business. They include former secretary general Goh Dong-ahn, former John Tribe secretary general Hong, identified only by the surname Hong, and former Simon Tribe secretary general Yang, identified only by the surname Yang. The court cited concerns over the destruction of evidence and the risk of flight.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
