International human rights and religious-freedom organisations have raised concerns over what they described as growing pressure on religious minorities and restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea.
The concerns were raised on Friday, Aug 7 at a press conference held at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club by Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and Bitter Winter.
Among the issues highlighted was the pretrial detention of 95-year-old Lee Man-hee, chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, with the organisations questioning whether his continued detention is proportionate, necessary and consistent with South Korea’s international human-rights obligations.
The organisations also raised concerns about the treatment of 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, calling for legal and administrative measures involving religious minorities to remain neutral, proportionate and consistent with fundamental rights.
The groups stressed that their concerns extend beyond individual cases, pointing to what they described as a broader pattern of challenges to freedom of religion or belief in South Korea.
The press conference also addressed the situation involving Segero Church in Busan, which the organisations said has reportedly continued to face harassment and official scrutiny despite the release of its pastor, Son Hyun-bo, from detention.
Other issues discussed included conscientious objection, opposition to a mosque project in Daegu and religious accommodation in educational settings. HRWF said it has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses in South Korea over conscientious objection to military service.
Although South Korea subsequently introduced an alternative civilian service system, the organisation said critics have questioned whether the arrangement constitutes a genuine rights-respecting alternative because it requires 36 months of service in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service.
Recent court decisions have also upheld key elements of the alternative-service system against constitutional challenges. Opening the conference, Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, said freedom of religion and expression were fundamental to a democratic society.
He warned that the consequences of stigmatizing religious communities, restricting peaceful gatherings or treating dissent as something to be contained could extend beyond individual religious groups.
According to Noot, the conference was not intended to defend a particular theology or religious movement, but rather the principle that fundamental rights should apply equally to everyone.
Thierry Valle, President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, focused on the legality of Lee Man-hee’s detention under international law.
Valle referred to South Korea’s ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995, questioning whether the pretrial detention of a 95-year-old man is compatible with those international commitments.
He argued that the presumption of innocence should remain central to the proceedings and pointed to alternative measures that, in his view, could protect the legal process while better respecting human dignity.
Valle cited the 2022 release on bail of Cardinal Joseph Zen in Hong Kong and Vietnam’s decision to place Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do under house arrest rather than imprisonment as examples of less restrictive measures involving elderly religious figures.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a separate legal analysis questioning whether Lee’s pretrial detention was necessary when authorities already possessed evidence considered sufficient for an indictment.
Langhans also questioned whether the evidence had been gathered and assessed neutrally, rather than through a narrative that characterizes Shincheonji as a “sect” or “cult.”
He argued that the case raises a wider constitutional question over whether measures designed to protect electoral integrity can be applied in ways that undermine constitutionally and internationally protected freedom of religion.
Dr. Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, discussed the potential impact of the situation on religious minorities beyond South Korea.
Nemes referred to three recent scholarly investigations involving selected Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina and Australia, saying the studies had identified a worrying increase in hostility toward the movement, which he described as peaceful and cooperative.
He stressed that Shincheonji is an international religious movement with congregations around the world rather than solely a South Korean minority church.
According to Nemes, developments in South Korea could therefore have implications for Shincheonji members abroad, particularly their ability to express and practise their faith. He cited Articles 18 and 19 of the ICCPR, which protect freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.
Prof. Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director of CESNUR and Editor-in-Chief of Bitter Winter, said South Korea had “crossed a worrying line” by arresting Lee Man-hee.
Introvigne argued that international standards, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Mandela Rules, would favour a less restrictive measure such as house arrest for a 95-year-old person accused of a non-violent offence.
He also questioned the scope of the charges against Lee, arguing that they appear to connect ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority to alleged electoral violations.
Introvigne warned that the case should be viewed alongside what he described as a broader pattern of pressure on minority faiths in South Korea. At the conclusion of the press conference, the participating scholars signed an official letter addressed to the Government of the Republic of Korea, calling for the immediate release of Lee Man-hee from custody.
The organisations also called on South Korean authorities, the media and the international community to examine developments involving religious minorities with particular attention to due process, proportionality, freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and equal protection under the law.
The groups said they had made additional documentation available to support further examination and reporting of the issues raised.
Written by Abeeb Lekan Sodiq for TheAfricanDream.net
