Detention of 95-Year-Old Religious Leader Sparks International Concern Over South Korea's Justice System

International alarm is growing over South Korea's detention and prosecution of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Chairman Lee Man-hee, aged 95, and over public remarks by Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho that critics say undermine religious neutrality and judicial independence.

On June 30, Minister Jeong announced on his social media that Chairman Lee had been indicted while in detention, writing that "strict criminal punishment corresponding to its responsibility is inevitable" and closing with a Bible verse from Matthew 7:15: "Beware of false prophets." The remarks drew sharp criticism from Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist of religion, in two articles published on the religious-freedom outlet Bitter Winter.

Chairman Lee was taken into custody on June 24 on charges including violation of the Political Parties Act, with prosecutors alleging he organized the enrollment of roughly 50,000 Shincheonji members into the People Power Party between July 2021 and January 2024 to influence primaries. Dr. Introvigne argued that detaining a 95-year-old religious leader over a nonviolent case violates proportionality standards under the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the "Mandela Rules") and principles against arbitrary detention.

He linked the case to that of Han Hak-ja, the 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church, warning of a pattern of detaining elderly religious leaders. Shincheonji Church responded that it had fully cooperated with the investigation and called the detention "a physical punishment imposed on a 95-year-old suspect."

Dr. Introvigne found Minister Jeong's public call for punishment on the same day as the indictment particularly troubling, as it risks prejudging the outcome. He noted that a justice minister's use of a Bible verse casting the defendant in a negative light may conflict with state religious neutrality. "Because a sitting Minister of Justice's public statements are likely to be read as the government's official position, such remarks warrant far greater caution," Introvigne wrote.

The central legal question is whether Shincheonji members were coerced into joining the party. Prosecutors claim an organized forced-enrollment campaign, while the church maintains members were not compelled. Dr. Introvigne predicted the trial will hinge on evidence of coercion, warning that "these charges risk criminalizing ordinary civic participation simply because the individuals belong to a religious minority." He added that Shincheonji members, like all citizens, have the right to join a political party.

The case is being closely watched internationally as a test of whether a democratic state applies the same rule-of-law and human rights standards to minority religious groups. "If statements by senior government officials appear to influence judicial independence, the damage extends beyond a single case — it can undermine confidence in the state's commitment to the rule of law," Introvigne said, describing the situation as "a stain on South Korea's democratic credentials."