Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho has ordered an investigation into allegations that the Shincheonji Church staged a fall incident involving its leader, Lee Man-hee, to facilitate his release from custody.
On July 3, Minister Jeong stated on Facebook, "Reports emerged yesterday that a correctional officer, who was a member of Shincheonji, leaked internal information from the correctional facility during Lee's detention in 2020 and even attempted to stage a 'fall incident' to secure his bail." He added, "If true, this means the correctional officer has chosen to act as a servant to a specific religious leader rather than fulfilling their duty as a public servant, using taxpayer-funded correctional administration for the private interests of a particular religion."
Furthermore, Minister Jeong emphasized, "Given that Lee Man-hee is currently re-incarcerated due to the 'forced collective admission' incident involving his followers, this matter cannot be taken lightly. We will promptly initiate a thorough investigation and urgent inspections of correctional facilities to hold accountable those responsible for any confirmed violations, both legally and administratively."
He also mentioned plans to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, stating, "We will establish institutional safeguards to block influential inmates from exerting undue influence within correctional facilities or colluding with external parties. Public officials in a democratic state must adhere to the principle of serving the public, not personal or religious interests."
According to a report by JTBC the previous day, the correctional officer, who was a member of Shincheonji, provided a detailed report on Lee's life in custody to the church's leadership during his detention in 2020. The leadership reportedly used this information to advocate for Lee's bail and allegedly staged a fall incident within the detention center.
Following Lee's recent re-incarceration, Shincheonji has demanded his release, claiming that the ongoing investigation poses a threat to his life and health.
Lee, who is accused of enrolling over 50,000 followers into the People Power Party, was arrested on June 24 after a pre-arrest interrogation regarding charges including violations of political party laws. The presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court, Kim Jin-man, issued the arrest warrant, citing concerns over potential evidence tampering.
Lee subsequently requested the court to reassess the legality of his detention, but his appeal was denied. The judge in charge of the detention review, Park Chan-beom, stated on June 28 that there were no grounds for the request.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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