South Korea arrested Lee Man-hee, leader of the Shincheonji cult, for his alleged involvement in mobilizing followers to interfere in the election.
South Korea has ordered the arrest of Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old founder of the Shincheonji religious sect, on charges of violating political party laws. LUCKDEE789 He is accused of orchestrating the mobilization of tens of thousands of followers to recruit members of the People's Power Party (PPRP) LUCKDEE789 in order to interfere with the election candidate selection process and benefit conservative political factions and former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The Seoul Central District Court approved an arrest warrant for Lee Man-hee, 95, the founder and leader of the Shincheonji sect, on charges of election interference and violating political party laws, which prohibit religious organizations from being involved in politics. The court cited the high risk of the suspect destroying evidence LUCKDEE789 as the reason for issuing the warrant late at night.
On Wednesday afternoon (June 24), before the court ruling, Lee Man-hee, visibly frail and needing a cane, appeared for a hearing on the arrest warrant request, refusing to answer any questions from the media. On Thursday morning, the Shincheonji church issued a statement expressing deep regret over the arrest, LUCKDEE789 stating that their leader had cooperated with the investigation and expressing concern about Lee's health and advanced age. Investigators have identified Lee Man-hee as the suspected mastermind behind a network of church branches that pressured and mobilized more than 50,000 followers LUCKDEE789 to join the conservative People's Power Party (PPP) between 2021 and 2024.
The aim of this was to interfere with and influence the party's internal elections, both in the presidential LUCKDEE789 and parliamentary elections, with the primary goal of securing support for former President Yoon Suk-yeol. In exchange, the Shincheonji sect would receive government benefits and protection, including permits for expansions of church buildings.
