The joint investigation headquarters of prosecutors and police (Joint Investigation Headquarters), which is investigating alleged collusion between religion and politics, summoned and questioned former Shincheonji general affairs director Go Dong-an, identified as a key figure in the alleged "Shincheonji party member enrollment."
According to legal sources, the Joint Investigation Headquarters called in former general affairs director Go around 1 p.m. on the 6th as a reference witness and questioned him. This is the first time the Joint Investigation Headquarters has summoned the former general affairs director.
While serving as Shincheonji's general affairs director from 2017 to 2024, the former director is suspected of forcing believers to enroll as responsible members of the People Power Party with the intent to influence the party's 2021 presidential primary and the 2024 general election primary. He was previously called Shincheonji's "No. 2" and is also suspected of having served as a link between Shincheonji and politics.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters is said to be checking whether the party enrollment was carried out on orders from Chairman Lee Man-hee; whether political funds were provided or favors on pending issues were exchanged in return for enrollment; and whether Shincheonji funds embezzled by the former director were used for lobbying in politics. Allegations that contacts were attempted with politicians and legal circles to quash Chairman Lee's tax audit and a prosecutorial investigation are also under investigation.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters suspects that the Shincheonji leadership acted in an organized manner by setting regional quotas and inspecting them to exercise political influence. Under a project called "Pilates," it encouraged enrollment as responsible party members, and internal testimony has emerged that from late 2021 through last year, more than 50,000 people enrolled as responsible members. Testimony from former members also indicated that after the former director returned to the leadership in 2022, the year of the presidential election, quotas were handed down by branch, and enrollment gathered pace.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters has summoned former Shincheonji members for questioning, and on the 30th of last month, it reportedly secured and is analyzing related recordings and materials containing indications of orders to enroll party members through a search and seizure of Shincheonji's headquarters.