2021Sept. 8: I Think I've Accidentally Joined a Cult (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-08/accidentally-joining-south-korean-doomsday-group/100298774) (ABC Australia)
Nov. 21: New Religious Movement Responses to COVID: Frame Alignment Strategies & Social Context (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356467304_New_religious_movement_responses_to_COVID_Frame_alignment_strategies_and_social_context) (Benjamin Zeller/Research Gate)
This essay quotes Kim Do-hyun (a former member I met a few times when he was a member) from the CNN piece linked below that includes an embedded video. He's not just any former member, he was Lee Man-hee's translator and held senior roles given that proximity to Lee. As a member of a cult whose members lie and use deceptive practices to recruit, I found him to be the exception that proves the rule. I would take anything he says sans grains of salt.
Feb. 27, 2020: How Novel Coronavirus Spread Through the Shincheonji Religious Group in South Kore (https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/26/asia/shincheonji-south-korea-hnk-intl/index.html) (CNN)
Quote'The culture was, even though you're sick you come in on Sunday. If you're so sick you can't come Sunday, youhave to come on Monday or Tuesday– you have to make up for the time,'Kim says. He describes how, whenhe was a member, followers would siton the floor during hours-long ser-vices 'packed together like sardines'.(CNN)
QuoteEx-members' accounts must be read with suspicion, and subjective claims such as being 'packed like sardines' reveal as much about anti-Shincheonji media bias as they do actual practices, but the pattern described here, even in its most basic claims, shows why Shincheonji norms were conducive to the spread of the virus.
I don't see why member accounts must be read with suspicion, especially in this case as what he describes as "packed together like sardines" is shown in the video. Not of course in the literal sense of bodies upon bodies, but it's pretty close to the human equivalent. If anything should be read with suspicion - and a bowl of salt, it's this bolded quote from earlier in the piece:
QuoteKim and Bang indicate that opponents have compared thegroup to the Islamic State, marking Shincheonji's totalistic vision of world transformation as inherently threatening to the social order. The scholar of new religions Massimo Introvigne argues that opposition to Shincheonji may be traced to a more mundane complaint: its rapid growth came at the expense of the more mainstream churches, which responded by demonizing the group and labelling it as a marginal religious movement.
More about Massimo Introvigne here. (https://peterdaley.net/strangerthings/index.php?topic=115.0)
2022Feb. 24: Shincheonji Ex-Member: New Heaven New Earth Church Refuted - Part 1 (Great Light Studios)
Feb. 28: Shincheonji Ex-Member: New Heaven New Earth Church Refuted - Part 2 (Great Light Studios)
March 28: I Was in a Cult & I didn't Know It - Escaping Shincheonji (Chelsea-Rose)
June 2: (Laurie) Why He Left SCJ After 7 Years (Green Light Studios)
June 16: Shincheonji & Religious Policy in Singapore (https://studentreview.hks.harvard.edu/shincheonji-and-religious-policy-in-singapore/) (Harvard Kennedy School)
QuoteIn November 2020, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) arrested 21 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus for being unregistered under the Societies Act. These arrests were the culmination of a nine-month long investigation of the group—in February 2020, five South Koreans as nationals holding key positions in the Singaporean chapter of Shincheonji were repatriated.
The ministry's investigation was instigated by the chapter's "deceptive recruitment methods," which are described as "infiltrating and disrupting established Korean churches by using deception and secrecy," exerting "a controlling influence over Christian youths and young adults in Singapore" and "concealing its existence from family members and non-Shincheonji contacts." In a press release on the arrests, the MHA stated that it "will not allow members of unlawful societies or persons associated with them to threaten Singapore's public safety, peace and good order."
Aug. 9: Inside the South Korean 'Doomsday Cult' Recruiting Young Black Christians in the UK (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/new-heaven-new-earth-lee-man-hee-cult-sect-b2119061.html) (Independent)
2023Jan. 21: The Shincheonji Cult Deceived Us (Kira Kelly)
March 5: Ex-Shincheonji Exposes 'Dangerous' Practices of Christian Group (https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/exshincheonji-exposes-dangerous-practices-of-christian-group/news-story/d70a93f11f31f1bd8f34cb11c00ed252?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=AOD&utm_campaign=PMAX&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20153116476&gbraid=0AAAAADnTK2__rbk-JSyPhVoRE1MSs4slx&gclid=CjwKCAjwpefSBhBvEiwAzyEtZ-G-hT5SFnG4hfLFlisle9ErYe0hpqkopsF1GbrhY6WoE_X4QyyeSxoCutMQAvD_BwE) (News AU)
July 23: The Violence of New Religious Movements & the Entrepreneurial Model: With a Focus on the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Korea (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/724845) (University of Chicago Press Journal)
The abstract is available, but the full text isn't without a subscription:
QuoteThe main objective of this article is to introduce a new Korean religious movement, Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ) and to discuss some of its missionary strategies as a type of violence, which I believe the traditional models of new religious movement (NRM) and violence cannot duly explain. The SCJ has recently been singled out as the epicenter of COVID-19 in Korea, as most of the early confirmed cases were linked to its members and as its clandestine proselytizing was blamed as the main cause of the unexpected explosion of new cases. Most NRM theories and discussions have been centered around the two larger explanatory models: characterological and interactional models. While the characterological model addresses common markers that most incidents of violence share, the interactional model focuses on the interrelationship between endogenous and exogenous factors. In this article, I argue that these two models are not capable of clearly identifying and fully explaining the type of violence that the SCJ causes, particularly against the mainstream Korean Christian churches. I suggest a new model, namely, the entrepreneurial/expansionist model. This entrepreneurial model finds the cause of violence in the SCJ's highly calculative and rational motivation and effort to achieve institutional success rather than pressures from or fear of internal and external crisis. I will present my case by utilizing the three assumptions, which Laurence Iannaccone identifies as the most fundamental for the rational choice theory of religion.
Dec. 29: Inside Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Where a South Korean 'Cult' Targets Nigerians, West Africans (https://fij.ng/article/inside-shincheonji-church-of-jesus-where-a-south-korean-cult-targets-nigerians-west-africans/) (Foundation for Investigative Journalism)
2024Aug. 17: I Joined A Cult: Surviving Shincheonji Church Testimony (Calling Claire)
Oct. 15: A Christian 'Doomsday Cult' is Targeting Australian University Campuses. Former Members Want Them Stopped (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/15/shincheonji-church-doomsday-cult-universities-australia-ntwnfb) (The Guardian)
Oct. 16: Inside the Bizarre Recruitment Tactics of the Shincheonji 'Doomsday' Church (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/17/how-the-shincheonji-doomsday-church-targets-and-recruits-people-in-australia-ntwnfb) (The Guardian)
Oct. 23: Church of Shincheonji: Inside the Alleged Cult & The Tactics Former Members Used (7News Australia)
Nov. 23: Church or Cult? Unmasking Shincheonji's Hidden Agenda (Former Member Chris on NeedGod.Net)
Nov. 29: Shincheonji: The Korean Cult Attempting to Infiltrate Ballarat (https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/8829491/ballarat-youth-allegedly-targeted-by-shincheonji-recruiters/) (The Courier)
Dec. 17: 'Purity' or 'harm & control'? Inside The Shincheonji Church (TVNZ News)
2025April 2: Australia Former Members Speak / SCJ Recruiting Video (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-03/shincheonji-religion-universities-australia-former-members-speak/104928098) (ABC News)
June 26: Escort Convoy & Court Perks: Shincheonji Founder Faces New Criticism (https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10518361) (The Korea Herald)
QuoteThe convoy members, despite having no legal authority, blocked civilian vehicles from passing. On one occasion, they stopped an oncoming car to allow Lee's car to make a U-turn. The motorcycles were equipped with red and blue sirens, causing ordinary citizens to believe high-ranking government officials were passing by, a Shincheonji insider told JTBC.
July 26: Cults Recruiting on Campus & The 'Walk up Evangelism' Controversy (https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/uni-campus-cult-recruitment/105574494) (ABC Triple J Podcast)
QuoteStudents across the country are experiencing "walk up evangelism", and it's not just mainstream religious groups using the tactic. In this deep dive, hack explores how South Korean church Shincheonji uses campuses to recruit, and why cult-like groups prey on uni students in the first place.
Aug. 2: Don't Think You're The Type To Join A Cult? Gloria Didn't Think She Was Either (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/behind-the-shincheonji-cult/nu0thspec) (SBS News)
Sept. 2: Korean Court Upholds Ruling Against Neo-Christian Sect (https://www.ucanews.com/news/korean-court-upholds-ruling-against-neo-christian-sect/110156) (UCA News)
Oct. 4: Is Shincheonji a Cult? Former SCJ Member Explains (Green Light Studios)
Oct. 18: Former Shincheonji Member Exposes the Cult's Secrets (Trinity Radio)
While the cult under investigation isn't named, it sounds like Shincheonji to me. And yes, it was confirmed later - I think!
Dec. 13: Several Malaysian Politicians Involved in South Korean Cult, Says Minister (https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/several-malaysian-politicians-involved-in-south-korean-cult-says-minister) (The Straits Times)
Dec. 15: South Korean Cult Movement: Perlis Mufti Believes Police Have Extensive Information (https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/12/1337281/south-korean-cult-movement-perlis-mufti-believes-police-have-extensive) (The Straits Times)
Quote"However, recognising diversity does not necessarily mean recognising the truth contained within that diversity. "Nevertheless, any group that is peaceful and does not harm or pose a serious threat to others may coexist, and we do not object to the right to coexist, even if we do not recognise the creed or doctrinal content of the beliefs concerned," he said.
Commenting on cult-based teachings, Asri said that these refer to extreme forms of adherence to certain figures to the extent that reason and rational judgement are set aside. "Cult teachings are usually built on excessive obedience to a figure, to the point that all of his actions cannot be questioned even when they clearly contradict reason, evidence and facts," he said.
"Figures who promote self-cultification often make extraordinary claims involving elements of divinity or spiritual greatness, including claiming divine appointment, possessing supernatural powers or receiving mystical recognition that is difficult to verify," he added. Asri said such teachings could result in fanatical followers who are willing to act beyond accepted boundaries, potentially threatening public order and national security.
2026Jan. 7: Home Ministry Still Gathering Information on Alleged South Korean Cult (https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/01/1352172/home-ministry-still-gathering-information-alleged-south-korean-cult) (The Straits Times)
Jan. 15: UC, Shincheonji Face Probe Over Possible Disbandment (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260115/unification-church-shincheonji-face-probe-over-possible-disbandment) (The Korea Times)
Jan. 17: 'Apocalyptic Christian Cult' Shincheonji Using 'Special Force Teams' To Spread Across The Country (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-16/apocalyptic-christian-cult-shincheonji-spreads-across-australia/106202480) (ABC News)
Jan. 19: Joint Probe Team Summons Ex-Shincheonji Official over Internal Embezzlement Report (https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=198922) (JBS World)
QuoteIn his report, Choi said a high-ranking Shincheonji official collected over 10 billion won from the organization's local branches from September 2017 to July 2020 under the guise of public relations or legal expenses.
According to Choi, although the money was collected and submitted to superiors, there was no transparent explanation regarding how the funds were used. Meanwhile, its purpose was recorded as "missionary expenses" with fabricated receipts from each branch, Choi said.
Jan. 21: Editorial - All Ties Between Shincheonji & PPP Must Be Revealed (https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/english_editorials/1240988.html) (Hankyoreh)
Jan. 21: Investigators Secure Testimony That Lee Man-hee Ordered Shincheonji Followers to Join PPP (https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1240990.html) (Hankyoreh)
QuoteThe joint police-prosecutor task force investigating alleged collusion between the Shincheonji religious movement and political circles has secured testimony from a former senior official in the church stating that there was an organized effort to enroll Shincheonji followers in the conservative People Power Party, or PPP, in the months leading up to the 2022 presidential election.
Regarding why Shincheonji followers threw their weight behind Yoon Suk-yeol in the presidential primary in 2021, the official told investigators that the mood at the time was that Shincheonji "would not survive" if Lee Jae Myung were elected president, and that Yoon was seen as the only candidate realistically capable of defeating Lee. The official further told investigators that the move was the church's way of "returning the favor" after Yoon blocked two raids of the church during his time as prosecutor general.
In March 2020, when the country focused on Shincheonji as an epicenter in the spread of COVID-19, prosecutors sent back two requests for warrants to raid the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji church. Yoon was the prosecutor general at the time.
Jan. 21: Task Force Raids Major Unification Church Facility, Investigates Shincheonji Recording (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-01-20/national/socialAffairs/Task-force-raids-major-Unification-Church-facility-investigates-Shincheonji-recording/2504744) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Jan. 26: Photo of Ex-President Yoon, Association Head Connected to Shincheonji Surfaces in Investigation (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-01-26/national/politics/Photo-of-exPresident-Yoon-association-head-connected-to-Shincheonji-surfaces-in-investigation/2508592) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Jan. 27: Shincheonji Probe Accelerates as Questions Linger Over Unification Church Case (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-01-27/englishStudy/bilingualNews/Shincheonji-probe-accelerates-as-questions-linger-over-Unification-Church-case-KOR/2509401) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Jan. 29: Long-Maligned Religious Group Shincheonji Draws New Scrutiny Over Political Collusion Claims (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-01-29/national/politics/Longmaligned-religious-group-Shincheonji-draws-new-scrutiny-over-political-collusion-claims/2510598) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Jan. 30: Prosecution-Police Team Raids Shincheonji Sect Over Suspected Collusion With Politics (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260130/prosecution-police-team-raids-shincheonji-sect-over-suspected-collusion-with-politics) (The Korea Times)
Feb. 2: Shincheonji Victims Submit 'Confirmation of Party Membership' & List of Currently Active Police Members to Joint Investigation Headquarters (CBS News)
Feb. 2: Ex-Shincheonji Member Says He Was Part of Special Team Focused on Recruiting Pastors (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-02/ex-shincheonji-member-says-religion-cult-recruiting-pastors/106257352) (ABC News)
QuoteMatthew was a member of that team until he left the church last year. ..."Our goal was to evangelise pastors and through them bring the whole church to Shincheonji," he said. He said at least three Australian pastors were flown to South Korea for Shincheonji's graduation ceremony. "It's a very, very slow process, and we have been in contact with them for years," Matthew said.
Feb. 3: Joint Prosecution-Police Task Force Seizes Shincheonji Attorney's Phone in Political Collusion Probe (https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/02/03/3RIU7MY6VNCCHE5YIX6JE6GKZM/) The Chosun Daily)
Feb. 3: Beleaguered Shincheonji Church Slams Joint Probe, Points to 'Persecution' & Past Legal Victories (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-02-03/national/politics/Beleaguered-Shincheonji-Church-slams-joint-probe-points-to-persecution-and-past-legal-victories/2514954) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Feb. 5: Australian Charities & Not-For-Profits Commission Investigates 'Apocalyptic Christian Cult' (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-05/acnc-investigation-shincheonji-charity-status/106307482) Shincheonji (ABC News)
Feb. 5: Authorities Say Shincheonji Leader 'Cooked Up' Connections to Evade Tax Probe (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-02-05/national/socialAffairs/Authorities-say-Shincheonji-leader-cooked-up-connections-to-evade-tax-probe/2516924) (Korea JoonAng Daily)
Feb. 6: Exclusive: Joint Investigation Headquarters Summons Shincheonji Ex-Official in Political Parties Act Case (https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/02/06/Q6RTDLS365B73OMU5YBYYEN5JQ/) (The Chosun Daily)
Feb. 6: Prosecutors Question Shincheonji No. 2 Over Alleged Mass People Power Enrollments (https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2026/02/06/7RLM2LNEKBAEHEK3BYPXNA2CFA/) (The Chosun Daily)
Feb. 7: Ex-Shincheonji Members Accuse Church of Pressure to Make Large Donations (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-07/ex-shincheonji-members-allege-financial-abuse-church-cult/106247460) (ABC News)
Feb. 9: Shincheonji Dogged by Embezzlement Allegations Over Legal Defense Fund to Protect Founder (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-02-09/national/socialAffairs/Shincheonji-dogged-by-embezzlement-allegations-over-legal-defense-fund-to-protect-founder/2519343) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Feb. 18: Probe Links Shincheonji Funds to Kweon Seong-dong Political Donations in Korea (https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2026/02/18/EWQNDC6JTRBFBALAK5PAP2C6LE/?outputType=amp) (Chosun Biz)
Feb. 19: Joint Task Force Reopens Tax Evasion Case Against Shincheonji Church (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-02-19/national/socialAffairs/Joint-task-force-reopens-tax-evasion-case-against-Shincheonji-Church/2526764) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Feb. 28: People Power Party Headquarters Raided in Shincheonji Probe (https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/02/28/D6LUODTG3FCFBKBPTFOSCB3XUI/) (The Chosun Daily)
March 3: Investigators Launch Second Raid at PPP HQ Over Shincheonji Allegations (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-03-03/national/socialAffairs/Investigators-launch-second-raid-at-PPP-headquarters-over-Shincheonji-allegations/2535866) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
March 11: Investigators Again Raid Shincheonji Sect Over Alleged Collusion With Politics (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260311003600315) (Yonhap News)
March 12: Shincheonji defectors: "Family & Friends Are a Huge Help in Returning to Normal Life." (CBS News)
March 17: Shincheonji Marks 42nd Anniversary: "From a Basement Beginning to a Denomination Growing by Tens of Thousands Every Year" (https://www.prlog.org/13133450-shincheonji-marks-42nd-anniversary-from-basement-beginning-to-denomination-growing-by-tens-of-thousands-every-year.html) (Shincheonji Press Release - Adelaide, Australia)
March 26: Investigators Raid Shincheonji, 12 Tribe Offices in Political Bribery Case (https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=200365#:~:text=Investigators%20Raid%20Shincheonji%2C%2012%20Tribe%20Offices%20in%20Political%20Bribery%20Case,-Written%3A%202026%2D03&text=A%20joint%20prosecution%2Dpolice%20investigation,of%20tax%20evasion%20and%20embezzlement.) (KBS News)
QuoteSources within legal circles told Yonhap News on Thursday that investigators had raided the headquarters of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, as well as the offices of its 12 tribes, including the so-called John Tribe, to collect data and evidence related to tax payments.
The search-and-seizure warrant lists charges of tax evasion and embezzlement under the Specific Crime Aggravated Punishment Act against the organization's founder, Lee Man-hee, according to the report.
In 2020, the National Tax Service imposed a fine of 12-point-two billion won, or approximately eight million U.S. dollars, for failure to pay corporate and value-added taxes covering the period from 2012 to 2019.
June 4: Shincheonji Sect Leader Probed Over Allegations of Forced Party Memberships, Political Ties (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-06-04/national/socialAffairs/Shincheonji-sect-leader-probed-over-allegations-of-forced-party-memberships-political-ties/2608887) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
June 13: Arrest Warrants Sought For Ex-Shincheonji Officials Over Suspicious Ties to Opposition Party (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260613001400315) (Yonhap News)
June 22: Investigators Seek Arrest Warrant for Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260622/investigators-seek-arrest-warrant-for-shincheonji-sect-leader-lee-man-hee)
June 25: Leader of Secretive South Korean Church Arrested in Election Influence Investigation (https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/leader-secretive-south-korean-church-arrested-election-influence-134170711) (ABC News)
June 28: Court Rejects Lee Man-hee's Bid for Release in People Power Enlistment Case (https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2026/06/28/53VGIY5FHFCOPMHPWS4QLC3FH4/) (Chosun Biz)
June 29: Investigators Indict Shincheonji Sect Leader Over Forced PPP Memberships (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/southkorea/law-crime/20260629/investigators-indict-shincheonji-sect-leader-over-forced-ppp-memberships) (The Korea Times)
July 3: Justice Minister Orders Probe Into Shincheonji Prison Guard Allegations (https://en.sedaily.com/society/2026/07/03/justice-minister-orders-probe-into-shincheonji-prison-guard) (Seoul Economic Daily)
QuoteJustice Minister Jung Sung-ho said Wednesday he would launch an internal investigation and emergency inspection over allegations that a prison guard who is a Shincheonji follower gave special treatment to Lee Man-hee, chairman of the religious group, including staging a "fall accident" to secure his release on bail in 2020.
July 24: Shincheonji in Both Parties Under Investigation (https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/07/24/KFQVSZP5PZHG3OBVB72AOLS4YQ/) (Chosun Daily)
QuoteThe joint investigation team probing allegations of religious-political collusion involving the Unification Church and Shincheonji has confirmed it discovered signs of Shincheonji's organized collective membership not only in the People Power Party but also in the Democratic Party of Korea and is currently investigating
July 28: Investigators Allegedly Overlooked Shincheonji Sect's Possible DP link in March (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260728003551315) (Yonhap News)
QuoteThe youth chairperson of the church's Simon branch allegedly asked followers to join both parties ahead of the 2022 local elections by saying: "I am a member of both the PPP and the DP. We must show our strength to politicians." ...
Despite securing such a statement, however, the team did not pursue an investigation involving the DP, instead focusing solely on allegations that church members had collectively joined the PPP, legal sources said.
Aug. 20: Shincheonji Apologizes Over Mass PPP Sign-Ups Amid Investigation (https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/shincheonji-apologizes-over-mass-ppp-signups-amid-investigation/12835323) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Aug. 23: Rights Groups Push South Korea to Free Shincheonji Founder (https://newsghana.com.gh/rights-groups-push-south-korea-to-free-shincheonji-founder/) (News Ghana)
Aug. 31: 32 Indicted in Shincheonji, Unification Church Corruption Probe (https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/08/31/TD4XVUIESVDPZOJCFMPBLI5XFA/) (The Chosun Daily)
Aug. 31: Joint Investigation Headquarters on Collusion Between Politics & Religion Concludes 8-Month Probe: Lee Manhee Indicted, 26 Billion Won Seized from Han Hakja's Safe (https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026083110013702658)(Asia Business Daily)
Aug. 31: Joint Investigation Body Into Political-Religious Collusion Concludes Probe; Indicts 32, Including Lee Man-hee & Hak-ja Han (https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008730006) (SBS News)
Sept. 2: Lee Man-hee Denies Intent in 7.5 billion won Tax Evasion Trial in South Korea (https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2026/09/02/GQZW6OH2GFBNTDJAT2GGIAH6OM/) (Chosun Biz)
Sept. 3: Court Extends Release of Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee to the 11th (https://en.sedaily.com/society/2026/09/03/court-extends-release-of-shincheonji-leader-lee-man-hee-to) (Seoul Economic Daily)
Sept. 17: Cults in Australia Discussion: Includes Comments by Former SCJ Members (SBS Insight)
Sept. 21: Lee Man-hee's Shincheonji Representatives Deny Charges of Forcing Party Membership at First Trial (https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026092118333794406) (The Asia Business Daily)
QuoteLee was indicted and detained on charges of forcing approximately 50,000 followers to join the People Power Party from 2021 to 2024, allegedly to influence presidential and legislative primaries.
Next, an interesting case in which prosecutors contend that a non-Shincheonji church is in fact a Shincheonji church doing a little masquarading, and that statements given in court denying that constitued perjury.
Certainly SCJ front churches exist. And I remember "Keep Out SCJ" signs were posted quite visibly outside churches. I attended some kind of SCJ event in the basement of a church that dsiplayed such a sign. Is it that the case here? Well the Supreme Court didn't rule on that - just that the possibly subjective opinion that it wasn't a SCJ church is not grounds for perjury. And as to the possible false statement the person's new "church" isn't Shincheonji, well that wouldn't be a subjective opinion if membership continued. In that case, the member would have full knowledge that they were attending a front church. Someone denying they are part of Shincheonji doesn't tell you anything as members lie. So in terms of learning something about the person, asking said person if they are part of SCJ doesn't result in an educating answer unless - and this does occassionally happen, the answer is "yes".
Sept. 24: Supreme Court Rules Acquittal in Perjury Case Over Shincheonji Church Denial, Citing Subjective Evaluation (https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008768959&plink=COPYPASTE&cooper=SBSNEWSEND) (SBS News)
QuoteThe Supreme Court has ruled that a defendant who testified in court that she did not attend the Shincheonji Church cannot be punished for perjury. ...
"A" appeared as a witness in the trials for both cases and testified to the effect that while she had attended the Shincheonji Church in the past, she now attended a church affiliated with the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in Korea.
The prosecution indicted A on perjury charges, claiming she gave false testimony while attending a front church disguised as Shincheonji. The first instance court found her not guilty, but the second instance court found her guilty and sentenced her to a fine of 2 million won. The Supreme Court reversed this decision, leaning toward an acquittal once again.