The joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters probing allegations that members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, were forced to join the People Power Party as rank-and-file members has sought an arrest warrant for Lee Man-hee, the Shincheonji leader. Authorities moved to take Lee into custody, identifying him as the figure at the top of the alleged systematic party enrollment.
On the 22nd, the joint investigation headquarters said it requested an arrest warrant for Lee on charges including violating the Political Parties Act. The headquarters is led by High Prosecutors' Office Chief Kim Tae-hoon.
Lee is accused of enrolling followers as responsible members of the People Power Party in 2021 to influence the party's presidential primary. Investigators suspect that from May to July 2021, Lee ordered or was involved in directing followers to join the party to support former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was running in the People Power Party's presidential primary.
He also faces allegations of orchestrating mass enrollment of followers into the People Power Party to influence the 22nd general election in 2024. Investigators say Shincheonji carried out what it called the "Pilates operation" by sect, urging followers to join the People Power Party, and that in the process more than 50,000 followers signed up as party members.
The Political Parties Act prohibits forcing anyone to join or leave a political party against their will. Investigators also cited obstruction of business in the warrant application, saying the organized party enrollment disrupted the People Power Party's primary and election operations.
Investigators summoned Lee on the 4th and questioned him for about seven hours. Earlier, on the 17th, a court issued arrest warrants for three people, including former Shincheonji General Affairs Chief Go Dong-an and other church officials, citing concerns about destruction of evidence and risk of flight.
Believing that Go and others led the followers' party enrollment, investigators first secured their custody and then moved up the chain by seeking an arrest warrant for Lee.