Why did prosecutors and police raid Shincheonji Church of Jesus over alleged PPP collusion?

Investigators searched the church because they suspect it encouraged followers to join the People Power Party to influence the party’s 2021 presidential primary and its 2024 general election candidate nominations. The probe also involves alleged collective party membership by church followers.

What places were searched in the Shincheonji PPP collusion probe?

Prosecutors and investigators searched Shincheonji’s headquarters in Gwacheon and a church training center in Gapyeong, both in Gyeonggi Province. They were looking for data tied to members’ collective PPP affiliation years ago.

What allegations has Shincheonji denied in the political collusion investigation?

Shincheonji denied that its followers collectively joined the People Power Party and denied intervening in the party’s candidate nominations. The church is being investigated alongside founder Lee Man-hee and others.

Prosecution-police team raids Shincheonji sect over suspected collusion with politics

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Summary

A joint prosecution-police team raided Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Gwacheon and a training center in Gapyeong on Friday over suspected collusion with the main opposition People Power Party. Investigators seized data on members’ collective PPP affiliation years ago. Lee Man-hee and others are suspected of forcing followers to join the party to influence its 2021 presidential primary and 2024 general election nominations. Shincheonji denied the allegations.

Key Facts

The search targeted Shincheonji’s headquarters in Gwacheon and a church training center in Gapyeong, both in Gyeonggi Province.
The warrant reportedly lists Lee Man-hee and others as suspects accused of obstruction of business and violating the Political Parties Act.
Former Shincheonji officials reportedly said the church encouraged followers to join the PPP under a project called Pilates.
The investigation team is said to have secured statements that tens of thousands of church followers became dues-paying PPP members.
Shincheonji denied that its followers collectively affiliated with the PPP or intervened in the party’s candidate nominations.

By Yonhap

Published Jan 30, 2026 11:04 am KST

Lee Man-hee, founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus / Korea Times file

A joint prosecution-police team launched recently to investigate suspected collusion between politics and religion raided the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, on Friday as part of a probe into its alleged ties to the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

Prosecutors and investigators from the team searched Shincheonji's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and a church training center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, in the morning to seize data related to church members' collective affiliation with the PPP years ago.

The church's founder, Lee Man-hee, and others are suspected of forcing church followers to join the PPP with the aim of influencing the results of the party's presidential primary in 2021 and the party's candidate nominations for the 2024 general elections.

The search and seizure warrant reportedly lists Lee, among others, as a suspect accused of obstruction of business and violating the Political Parties Act.

The joint investigation team is said to have secured statements from former Shincheonji officials that the church encouraged its followers to join the PPP under a project dubbed "Pilates" and tens of thousands of them actually became dues-paying members of the party. Some of the former church officials reportedly testified that the church attempted to exert its influence in politics through the conservative political circles.

Shincheonji has denied the allegations of its followers' collective affiliation with the PPP and their intervention in the party's candidate nominations.

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