▲ Shincheonji Headquarters
Three former officials of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, accused of forcing members to join the ruling People Power Party (PPP), were arrested today (June 17).
Judge Bu Dong-sik of the Seoul Central District Court issued the arrest warrants after conducting a pre-arrest interrogation (warrant validity review) for Go Dong-an, a former general secretary of Shincheonji, and former general secretaries of the church's John and Simon tribes. The court stated there was a "risk of destroying evidence or fleeing."
This marks the first time authorities have secured the custody of suspects since the joint investigation team, established to probe allegations of collusion between religion and politics, launched its operation on January 6.
The joint investigation team had previously requested arrest warrants for Go and the others on June 12 on charges including violation of the Political Parties Act.
Go and the other suspects are accused of forcing church members to join the PPP between 2021 and 2024 with the intention of influencing the party's presidential and general election primaries.
Article 42 of the Political Parties Act prohibits the coercion of individuals to join or withdraw from a political party.
The joint investigation team believes that Shincheonji encouraged its members to join the PPP under various project names, such as the "Pilates Project," across its different tribes. Authorities estimate that over 50,000 members joined the party as a result.
The arrest warrants also included charges of obstruction of business, as investigators determined that these organized efforts to join the party hindered the PPP's election-related operations.
With the former officials now in custody, the investigation into Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee, who is considered the "pinnacle" of the allegations, is expected to gain momentum.
During the investigation of former Shincheonji members, the joint team secured testimonies suggesting that the order to join the party was handed down from Lee through the general secretary to tribe leaders, church pastors, and finally to the senior, women's, and youth associations. Witnesses stated that such collective action would have been impossible without Lee's directives.
On June 4, the joint investigation team summoned Lee as a suspect to question him regarding the overall allegations.
The team is also investigating allegations that Go, who had managed church finances since 2017, collected over 11.3 billion won from members under the pretext of covering Lee's legal and public relations expenses, and subsequently embezzled a portion of those funds.
However, it is understood that these specific criminal charges were not included in the current arrest warrants.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.