International human rights groups, including Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience, FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, convened a press conference on August 7 at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club to address freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea. The organizations highlighted concerns about the pretrial detention of elderly religious leaders, specifically 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Mrs. Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, questioning the proportionality, humanitarian considerations, and due process involved.
The press conference was part of a broader pattern of freedom of religion or belief concerns in South Korea. The groups noted persistent issues such as the reported harassment of Segero Church in Busan even after Pastor Son Hyun-bo's release, conscientious objection practices, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and religious accommodation in educational settings. HRWF documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors, and although alternative civilian service was introduced, critics argue it is implemented punitively, requiring 36 months of service in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service. Recent court decisions have upheld this system against constitutional challenges.
Hans Noot, associate director of HRWF, opened the conference by emphasizing that these issues "lie at the heart of democratic society." He warned that stigmatizing religious communities, restricting peaceful gatherings, and treating dissent as a problem to be contained have consequences that "extend far beyond any single group or case." Noot clarified that the conference was not about defending any particular theology but about "defending a principle: that fundamental rights apply equally to all."
Thierry Valle, president of CAP Liberté de Conscience, addressed the legality of Chairman Lee's detention under international law. Citing South Korea's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995, Valle questioned whether placing a 95-year-old in pretrial detention aligns with those obligations. He stressed that the presumption of innocence must prevail over any presumption of guilt, and noted that democratic countries offer alternative, more proportionate measures that respect human dignity. He cited precedents such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's 2022 release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam's decision to place Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do under house arrest.
Michael Langhans, executive director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning the necessity of pretrial detention for Chairman Lee, given that evidence may already be sufficient for indictment. He also questioned whether the evidence was gathered neutrally or through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." Langhans argued that the case raises a broader question for lawmakers: whether measures meant to protect fair elections can be applied without nullifying the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, deputy director of CESNUR, discussed the effects of ongoing persecution on minority faiths. He noted three recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, each finding a worrying increase in hostility toward the peaceful and cooperative religious movement. Nemes stressed that Shincheonji is a global religious movement, and persecution in South Korea affects congregants abroad, whose freedoms of expression and practice are enshrined in ICCPR Articles 18 and 19.
Massimo Introvigne, managing director of CESNUR and editor-in-chief of Bitter Winter, said South Korea "has crossed a worrying line" by arresting Chairman Lee. He argued that international standards such as the Mandela Rules would call for house arrest rather than imprisonment for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offense. He described the charges, tied to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority, as "legally and conceptually overstretched," and warned that the case fits a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths in the country.
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with close attention to due process, proportionality, and equal protection of fundamental rights. At the conclusion of the press conference, the scholars signed an official letter calling on the government of the Republic of Korea to immediately release Chairman Lee from custody.
