Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, announced on July 9 that the international human rights organization CAP LC, the Coordination des Associations et Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience, had submitted a joint written statement to the U.N. Human Rights Council expressing concern over the spread of discrimination and stigma against members of the church. CAP LC, which holds special consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council, focused on the standards by which such matters are assessed, warning that negative perceptions and unverified materials formed in South Korea, if disseminated abroad, could impact public opinion, administrative and judicial decisions in other countries.
CAP LC urged governments to base any decisions concerning Shincheonji Church of Jesus on verifiable evidence and clear legal standards. The church said the statement highlighted that if unfounded stigma were allowed to gain international acceptance, other religious minorities could also be judged similarly, underscoring the responsibility of states to protect the rights of all religious minorities. CAP LC has previously brought before the United Nations issues including the persecution of the Church of Almighty God in China and concerns over violations of religious freedom related to the Japanese government's request for a dissolution order against the Unification Church.
The statement cited cases in the United Kingdom and German-speaking countries, where negative perceptions of Shincheonji Church of Jesus members led to administrative proceedings and interference with social lives. In the UK, the Charity Commission rejected the church's registration application, describing it as a "cult," a term without clear legal definition. CAP LC noted that such terms in official procedures can produce strong social stigma. In Germany and other German-speaking countries, members faced workplace discrimination amid negative public sentiment driven by certain media and church figures, exacerbated by a critical book published in 2025 by evangelical activists.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus said these cases demonstrated that unfounded stigma and unverified claims are causing disadvantages for members in workplaces, families, and broader social lives, and called for administrative and judicial decisions to be based on clear legal standards and verifiable evidence. The statement also addressed controversy in South Korea over political participation, criticizing claims that party membership of church members amounts to "religion-politics collusion," and calling on the South Korean government to uphold freedom of religion and non-discrimination.
Amid these concerns, South Korea is investigating allegations related to church members' party membership. On June 24, a court issued an arrest warrant for Chairman Lee Man-hee, and on June 29, the government joint investigation headquarters indicted him on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act. Shincheonji Church of Jesus maintains that the case should be handled according to due process and objective evidence, not social perceptions or political controversy. The church also raised concerns about the necessity and proportionality of detaining Lee, who is 95 years old, has cooperated with the investigation, and key materials have already been secured.
The church said the discrimination cases and the South Korean investigation raise a common question: what standards should state authorities apply when dealing with religious minorities? The issue goes beyond controversy over a particular group and serves as a measure of whether rights of religious minorities are equally protected in domestic and international procedures. The international community is watching to determine whether legal grounds and due process are consistently upheld. Ultimately, how the case is resolved will test social and institutional trust in the protection of religious minorities, the church said.
