SEOUL, South Korea — The founder of a secretive South Korean religious organization was taken into custody Wednesday as investigators expanded their probe into claims that he illegally steered thousands of church members into a conservative political party to sway election outcomes.
The Shincheonji Church has pushed back against the allegations targeting Lee Man-hee, 95, who established the congregation in the 1980s and describes himself as a messenger of Jesus. The church claims a membership of roughly 200,000 followers.
A special team of prosecutors and police has been working since January to examine alleged connections between religious organizations — including Shincheonji and the Unification Church — and political figures. The investigation falls under a wider government effort by South Korea’s current liberal administration to scrutinize the tenure of former conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office and found guilty of rebellion after briefly imposing martial law in December 2024.
Lee arrived at Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday afternoon walking with a cane and supported by a church official. He did not answer reporters’ questions as he appeared before the court for a hearing on whether prosecutors’ arrest request would be granted.
That same evening, the court issued the arrest warrant, citing concerns that Lee posed a risk of destroying evidence. The church, which had previously raised worries about Lee’s age and physical condition, had not yet released a statement in response to his arrest.
Authorities suspect Lee directed the church’s regional chapters to pressure more than 50,000 members into joining the People Power Party, or PPP, between 2021 and 2024. The alleged goal was to shape the party’s presidential and legislative primary contests. Investigators believe the effort, which reportedly included backing for Yoon’s presidential campaign, was intended to gain favorable treatment for the church — such as permits to expand its buildings and facilities.
The arrest of Lee follows the earlier arrest and indictment of Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han. She faces allegations that she directed church officials to bribe Yoon’s wife and a conservative lawmaker with close ties to him, in exchange for business favors. Han, who is the widow of the church’s founder Sun Myung Moon, has denied those claims.
In April, an appeals court sentenced Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, to four years in prison after convicting her on several charges, among them accepting luxury gifts from a Unification Church official.
Yoon himself was formally removed from office in April 2025 following his impeachment over the martial law episode in December 2024, which came after a standoff with the liberal-controlled legislature. He was arrested in July 2025 and is now facing multiple trials. He has appealed both a life sentence for rebellion and a separate 30-year prison term stemming from allegations that he ordered drone flights over North Korea’s capital to heighten tensions and provide justification for imposing martial law.
Liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who won a special presidential election following Yoon’s removal, has authorized numerous investigations into Yoon’s martial law declaration and other allegations tied to his administration and wife.
Lee Man-hee founded Shincheonji in 1984, choosing a name that translates to “new heaven and new earth.” He has drawn criticism from other Christian groups who have labeled him a false prophet or cult leader. The church refers to Lee as “the Promised Pastor,” describing him as an attendant of Jesus sent to bear witness to what he claims are fulfilled prophecies from the Book of Revelation.
Han leads the Unification Church — officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification — which her late husband Moon established in 1954. Moon, who proclaimed himself a messiah and preached conservative family values alongside new interpretations of the Bible, grew the organization into a global movement with millions of members and wide-ranging business interests. The church is perhaps best known for its mass weddings, in which thousands of couples — often from different countries — are paired together.
