Lee Man-hee, head of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), who is under investigation while in custody, asked a court to release him but was rejected. He is accused of ordering followers to collectively join the People Power Party around the 20th presidential election and the 22nd general election.
On the 28th, Park Chan-beom, the on-duty judge for warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, rejected Lee's request at a detention validity review hearing, saying there was "no reason for the request."
A detention validity review is a procedure in which the court determines whether a suspect's arrest at the investigation stage is lawful and whether there is a need to maintain the detention.
Accordingly, Lee will continue to be investigated while in custody.
Lee is accused of enrolling followers as dues-paying members of the People Power Party from July to September 2021 to support Yoon Suk-yeol, a former president who was then running in the party primary during the 20th presidential election.
He is also accused of carrying out the so-called "Pilates operation" with the aim of influencing the 22nd general election in 2024 and enrolling more than 10,000 followers in the People Power Party. Article 42 of the Political Parties Act stipulates that no one may be forced to join or leave a political party against their will.
The joint prosecution–police investigation headquarters on suspected collusion between religion and politics (headed by Deputy Minister Kim Tae-hoon, high prosecutors' office chief) requested an arrest warrant for Lee on the 22nd. On the 24th, the court issued the warrant, citing "the possibility of destroying evidence of the crime."