Lee Man-hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, is facing imminent arrest for allegedly coercing over 50,000 followers to join the ruling People Power Party (PPP).
On June 24, Judge Kim Jin-man of the Seoul Central District Court began a pre-arrest interrogation of Lee, who is accused of violating party law and obstructing business operations. The hearing started at 2 p.m.
Lee arrived at the court using a cane and was assisted by a friend. He remained silent when reporters asked whether he had directly instructed followers to join the party or if it was to support former President Yoon Suk-yeol. As he entered the courtroom, some citizens shouted criticisms at him from the sidelines.
The joint investigation team, which is probing allegations of corruption involving religious and political collusion, filed for an arrest warrant for Lee on June 22, marking the first such request since the team's establishment on January 6, 2026.
Lee is accused of forcing followers to join the PPP to influence the party's primaries for the 2021-2024 presidential and general elections. Article 42 of the Party Act prohibits coercing individuals to join or leave a political party against their will.
The investigation team reports that Shincheonji encouraged membership under the codename "Pilates Project," with at least 56,472 followers joining the PPP. The membership drive began in July 2021, with 6,482 individuals signing up before the presidential election, and continued until January 2024, ahead of the general elections.
Additionally, the investigation team claims that Shincheonji organized the membership drive to address internal issues, such as changing the use of church buildings, which disrupted the PPP's operations. They also noted that they obtained a list of members through a search and seizure operation, confirming a hierarchical structure from the leader to the general secretary, district leaders, and church pastors.
Notably, ahead of the 2022 presidential election, Lee was recorded stating, "Yoon Suk-yeol must become president. Join as members who pay party dues," and there are indications that a list of followers was shared with Yoon's campaign team.
Lee has denied all allegations and is expected to maintain this stance during the warrant hearing.
Previously, on June 13, the investigation team arrested three former executives, including Ko Dong-an, who was considered the second-in-command within the church. Legal experts suggest that Lee's advanced age and health condition, as he is over 90 years old, may significantly influence the court's decision regarding the arrest warrant.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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