SEOUL — International human rights organizations convened at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club today to voice concerns over the state of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea. The press conference, organized by Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) alongside CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, focused on the treatment of elderly religious leaders in pretrial detention, including questions of proportionality, humanitarian considerations, and due process. The groups specifically called on South Korean authorities to review the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and to ensure that legal and administrative responses to religious minorities remain neutral and consistent with the country's international human-rights obligations.
The concerns extend beyond Chairman Lee's case. HRWF and its partners highlighted the ongoing scrutiny of Segero Church in Busan, where Pastor Son Hyun-bo was released from detention but the church reportedly continues to face harassment. They also cited persistent issues regarding conscientious objection, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and religious accommodation in educational settings. Over the decades, HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors; although alternative civilian service was introduced, critics argue it is punitive, requiring 36 months of service in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service. Recent court decisions have upheld this system against constitutional challenge.
Opening the conference, Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, asserted that the issues at stake "lie at the heart of democratic society." He warned that when religious communities are stigmatized and dissent is treated as a problem to be contained, the consequences "extend far beyond any single group or case." He emphasized 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. Noting South Korea's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995, he questioned whether placing a 95-year-old in pretrial detention is consistent with those obligations, stressing that the presumption of innocence must prevail. 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 as examples of more proportionate measures.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention for Chairman Lee was necessary given that evidence might already be sufficient for indictment, and whether the evidence was gathered neutrally rather than through a narrative framing the community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued that the case raises a broader question: whether measures meant to protect fair elections can be applied without nullifying the guaranteed right to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, shared findings from recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, which found a worrisome increase in hostility toward the peaceful religious movement. He stressed that Shincheonji is a global movement, and disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects congregants abroad, whose freedoms 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, arguing 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 offence. He described the charges, tied to ordinary political participation, as "legally and conceptually overstretched."
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with 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.
