Court cites no grounds for request; joint investigation team continues probe into mass party enrollment of 56,000 followers

Lee Man-hee, chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, arrives at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on June 24 for a pre-detention hearing on charges of violating the Political Parties Act. [Yonhap]
Lee Man-hee, chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, arrives at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on June 24 for a pre-detention hearing on charges of violating the Political Parties Act. [Yonhap]

A Seoul court on Saturday rejected a petition by Lee Man-hee, chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, to review the legality of his detention. Lee was arrested on charges of forcing church members to enroll en masse as members of the People Power Party.

Judge Park Chan-beom of Seoul Central District Court dismissed Lee's petition after presiding over the detention review hearing, saying there were "no grounds for the request."

A detention review hearing is a procedure in which a court determines, during the investigation stage, whether a suspect's detention is lawful and whether it needs to be maintained.

With the petition dismissed, Lee will remain in custody while the investigation continues.

Lee was detained on June 24 on charges of violating the Political Parties Act for allegedly coercing church members to join the People Power Party between 2021 and 2024, with the aim of influencing the party's presidential and general election primaries.

Article 42 of the Political Parties Act prohibits compelling a person to join or leave a political party.

A joint investigation team of prosecutors and police probing allegations of collusion between religion and politics believes Shincheonji encouraged members to enroll in the party under various names — including one called the "Pilates Project" — across its regional branches.

As a result, investigators determined that at least 56,472 church members joined the People Power Party.

The joint team suspects Shincheonji systematically pushed the membership drive to resolve various church issues, including the permitted use of its buildings.

Investigators concluded that the campaign disrupted the People Power Party's election operations and added obstruction of business as an additional charge in the arrest warrant.

The joint team plans to investigate whether any political figures requested or were involved in Lee's decision to order the mass enrollment of church members.


dingdong@heraldcorp.com