Shincheonji leader sought for arrest over alleged party sign-up pressure

AI핵심 요약

• ·South Korean investigators sought an arrest warrant for Lee Man-hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, in a probe into allegations that the religious group forced followers to join a political party.
• ·The request brings the investigation to the top of one of South Korea’s most controversial religious groups, accused of mobilizing believers to influence internal contests of the conservative People Power Party.
• ·According to investigators, the joint team of prosecutors and police filed a warrant request Monday for charges including violations of the Political Parties Act.
• ·Lee is accused of forcing Shincheonji members to join the People Power Party, now South Korea’s main opposition party.
• ·The allegations center on party membership drives tied to the People Power Party’s 2021 presidential primary, when the party was in opposition, and its 2024 parliamentary nomination races, when it was the ruling party under then-President Yoon Suk Yeol.