Seoul: The founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, was indicted under detention Monday, over allegations that he forced followers to join the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) ahead of the political party's elections. The sect's leader, Lee Man-hee, faces charges of obstruction of business and violations of the Political Parties Act.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the indictment follows a previous charge against Lee in June, as the five-year statute of limitations for the alleged forced enrollment of church members into a political party in July 2021 approached. The 94-year-old leader is suspected of coercing at least 56,000 church members to join the PPP between July 2021 and January 2024, aiming to sway the outcomes of the party's 2022 presidential primary and 2024 general election primaries.
The investigation revealed that approximately 6,482 sect followers joined the PPP in July 2021, followed by 2,873 in December 2021, and around 12,044 in August 2023. The alleged forced enrollments coincided with the period when the PPP was the ruling party under former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
In addition to Lee, seven former and current executives of the sect were indicted, with three of them currently detained, as stated by the joint police-prosecution task force.