SEOUL – Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), alongside CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, held a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club to address growing concerns over freedom of religion and expression in South Korea. The groups focused on the pretrial detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Mrs. Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, urging South Korean authorities to ensure legal responses to religious minorities remain neutral, proportionate, and consistent with international human-rights obligations.
The press conference highlighted a broader pattern of religious freedom issues in the country, including ongoing scrutiny of Segero Church in Busan, conscientious objection cases, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and religious accommodation in educational settings. Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, emphasized that these issues "lie at the heart of democratic society," warning that stigmatizing religious communities and restricting peaceful gatherings could have consequences "far beyond any single group or case." He stressed that the conference was about defending the principle that "fundamental rights apply equally to all."
Thierry Valle, President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, questioned the legality of detaining a 95-year-old under international law, referencing South Korea's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995. He argued that the presumption of innocence must prevail and pointed to alternative measures used in democratic countries, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's 2022 release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam's house arrest for Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention for Chairman Lee was necessary given that evidence was already sufficient for indictment, and whether that evidence was gathered neutrally or through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued the case raises broader questions for lawmakers about applying election protection measures without nullifying constitutionally and internationally guaranteed rights to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, shared findings from recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, which revealed a worrisome increase in hostility toward the peaceful religious movement. He emphasized that Shincheonji is a global movement, and disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects congregants abroad, whose freedoms of expression and practice are protected under ICCPR Articles 18 and 19.
Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director of CESNUR and Editor-in-Chief of Bitter Winter, said South Korea "has crossed a worrying line" by arresting Chairman Lee, arguing that international standards like the Mandela Rules would call for house arrest rather than imprisonment for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offence. He described the charges as "legally and conceptually overstretched" and linked to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority.
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with attention to due process, proportionality, and equal protection of fundamental rights. At the conclusion of the press conference, the scholars signed an official letter urging the Government of the Republic of Korea to immediately release Chairman Lee from custody. This case highlights the delicate balance between state security measures and the protection of fundamental rights, with implications for religious minorities worldwide.
