▲ Lee Man-hee (C), the founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, appears at the office of a prosecution-police task force in southern Seoul on June 4, 2026, to undergo questioning on suspicions of violating the Political Parties Act. (Yonhap)

religious sect-arrest warrant

Investigators seek arrest warrant for Shincheonji sect leader Lee Man-hee

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- 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.

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 forcing church followers to join the PPP with the intention of swaying 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 investigating allegedly corrupt ties between political and religious groups, has been investigating the allegations surrounding Shincheonji.

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