Arrest warrant sought for Shincheonji founder over 'Pilates Project' collusion suspicions
Investigators say church head Lee Man-hee coerced members to join the PPP through a campaign that allegedly enrolled more than 50,000 members.
Lee Man-hee, the leader of religious group Shincheonji, attends a questioning session held by law enforcement authorities in southern Seoul on June 4.
NEWS1
Investigators filed for an arrest warrant for Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old founder and chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, for forcing people into supporting the conservative People Power Party (PPP), the joint probe team said Monday.
“[The investigators] requested an arrest warrant for Lee on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act, which is related to allegations that he coerced church members to join a political party,” the probe team said.
Lee is accused of compelling church members to register as members of the conservative main opposition PPP between 2021 and 2024 with the aim of influencing the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.
Investigators believe Shincheonji encouraged members to join the PPP through initiatives organized by its regional branches, a campaign known as the “Pilates Project.” The religious group reportedly employed 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.
The investigation found that more than 50,000 Shincheonji members ultimately enrolled as party members.
The Act prohibits forcing individuals to join a political party against their will or without their consent.
Investigators reportedly obtained multiple witness statements from Shincheonji officials and members alleging that Lee personally directed followers to enroll as PPP members. Lee denied the accusation when he appeared for questioning on June 4.
Prosecutors also included an obstruction of business charge in the warrant request. They cited that the organized membership initiative disrupted the party’s election-related operations.
Lee’s age could prove a key factor in determining whether he is taken into custody when the court reviews the warrant request. While advanced age alone is not grounds for denying detention, a court could conclude that the risk of flight is low given his limited mobility. Investigators concluded that his health was not serious enough to make detention impractical.
The task force had previously sought and obtained a detention warrant on the same charges for Goh Dong-ahn, who was known as the secondary leader within the religious group. Two other sub-faction leaders were also subject to the detention warrant.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON, JEONG JIN-WOO [[email protected]]
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.
