Joint police-prosecutors task force investigates alleged Shincheonji mass DPK enrollment, citing permit-related complaints
- Input
- 2026-07-24 16:25:32
- Updated
- 2026-07-24 16:25:32
According to the legal community on the 24th, the task force has found signs that Shincheonji instructed its members to join the DPK in order to resolve local issues, and is questioning party members and others involved.
Shincheonji purchased buildings in Gwacheon, Goyang, Gapyeong County, Incheon and Iksan, among other places nationwide, and tried to use them as religious facilities. However, it ran into opposition from local residents and failed to obtain approval from the relevant local governments for a change in use.
The task force believes Shincheonji encouraged its members to join the DPK to resolve these permit-related complaints, and has determined that many believers actually signed up as party members. If the investigation confirms that they acted collectively to interfere in party primaries or public elections, the task force says it may apply charges under the Public Official Election Act and is concentrating its investigative efforts.
During the DPK national convention held recently, party leadership candidates Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil also raised allegations that Shincheonji interfered in the party's primary, sparking controversy.
Meanwhile, since its launch on Jan. 6, the task force has carried out raids on Shincheonji's general assembly headquarters in Gwacheon and the People Power Party headquarters, among other sites, as it intensively investigated allegations that Shincheonji members were enrolled in the People Power Party. As a result, 6 months after its launch, on the 13th, it indicted Lee Man-hee and others on charges of violating the Political Parties Act and obstruction of business over the forced enrollment of believers.
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