On August 13, seven Christian organizations from Korea and abroad, including the Council for Christian Mutual Growth, the Korea Christian Leaders Training Institute, the Pastors Alliance for Life and Human Rights, the Russian Evangelical Alliance, and the Thai Evangelical Alliance Association, co-hosted the 1st Joint Assembly of World Pastors. The assembly sharply criticized violations of religious freedom and the undermining of the separation of church and state in the Republic of Korea. Around 3,000 pastors from major countries attended online and offline.
Pastors from Russia, Zambia, and other countries joined Korean presenters to examine the reality of religious freedom under threat from an international perspective. They unanimously declared: "What is happening in the Republic of Korea today is not the problem of one denomination or one country."
Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang Church of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, warned about the dangers of dissolving religious corporations. He cited Japan's dissolution of the Unification Church, noting that while the legal status was revoked, the practical impact—loss of tax benefits, liquidation—is significant. He pointed to Article 38 of Korea's Civil Act, which permits revocation for "acts that harm the public interest," asking, "Who decides what harms the public interest, and by what standard?" He referenced the 2020 case where Seoul revoked a permit for a Shincheonji-linked association and the December 2025 presidential order to review dissolution of domestic religious organizations. He stressed that "social unpopularity" must not be grounds for dissolution, invoking Article 18 of the ICCPR.
Rev. Vitaly Kirillovich Vlasenko, General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, argued that "public opinion cannot be a verdict." He highlighted that the Supreme Court of Korea acquitted Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee of violating the Infectious Disease Control Act, despite intense public pressure. He urged that legal standards be applied equally to everyone.
Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder of Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism in Zambia, raised humanitarian concerns about the detention of the 95-year-old leader, emphasizing the harsh impact on the elderly. He called for lawful alternatives like bail or medical accommodation, stating, "We are asking that the fairness, dignity, and universal rights owed to everyone be extended equally to him."
The assembly concluded with a Joint Statement demanding the government cease using specific religions as political tools, the judiciary uphold the presumption of innocence, and the court grant bail for the elderly leader. Organizers stated, "The cases presented here are not the problem of one denomination alone but a grave warning signal spanning religious freedom in the Republic of Korea as a whole."
