Seoul: Investigators said Monday they have filed for an arrest warrant for the founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, over suspicions he forced church members to join the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) ahead of elections between 2021 and 2024.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee Man-hee is accused of violating the Political Parties Act, which bans forcing people to join or quit political parties. He is suspected of pressuring church followers to join the PPP with the aim of influencing the outcome of the party's presidential primary in 2021 and the general election primaries in 2024.
A joint investigative team between the police and prosecution, charged with probing allegedly corrupt ties between political and religious groups, has been investigating the allegations surrounding Shincheonji.