SEOUL, South Korea — The Shincheonji Church of Jesus has demanded a comprehensive investigation into allegations of political interference, calling on South Korean authorities to cross-reference its membership records with political party rosters to disprove claims of election meddling.
In a statement released Tuesday, the religious group urged the Joint Investigation Headquarters to conduct an impartial inquiry into accusations that its members joined the conservative People Power Party in a coordinated effort to influence recent elections. The church dismissed the reports as speculation fueled by the testimony of former members.
Church officials denied ever instructing congregants to join specific political organizations, including the People Power Party or the opposition Democratic Party of Korea. They argued that such systematic interference is structurally impossible and defended the individual political choices of members as a fundamental constitutional right.
The church stated it is prepared to hand over its membership lists, subject to member consent, to facilitate a simultaneous probe into both major parties. The statement emphasized that any investigation must be without sanctuary, echoing previous calls from the presidency for transparency across the political spectrum.
Addressing claims that the organization received special treatment in exchange for political support, the church pointed to its ongoing struggle to secure permits for its religious facilities. Leaders argued that if such collusion existed, the church would not be facing the current administrative blocks preventing it from using legally purchased sites.
The Shincheonji leadership further challenged investigators to expand their scrutiny to all major religious denominations in the country, including Protestant, Buddhist and Catholic groups, to determine if broader collusion between religion and politics exists.
