On August 13, seven Christian organizations from Korea and abroad, including the Council for Christian Mutual Growth and the Russian Evangelical Alliance, hosted the first Joint Assembly of World Pastors, drawing around 3,000 pastors from major countries both online and offline. The assembly sharply criticized what they described as violations of religious freedom and the undermining of the separation of church and state in the Republic of Korea, with a specific focus on the detention of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee, who is 95 years old.
Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang Church of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, opened the discussion by warning against the state's power to dissolve religious corporations. He drew parallels to Japan's recent dissolution of the Unification Church, noting that while the legal status was revoked, the practical impact on the religious community is significant. He questioned the criteria for determining what constitutes 'acts that harm the public interest' under Article 38 of Korea's Civil Act, citing cases such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government's revocation of permits for Shincheonji-related organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev. Im stressed that investigating individual criminal allegations is different from targeting an entire religious community for dissolution, and he invoked Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to emphasize that religious freedom must not depend on social popularity.
Rev. Vitaly Kirillovich Vlasenko, General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, addressed the theme 'Public opinion cannot be a verdict.' He argued that social hatred and media pressure cannot justify declaring someone guilty before a court judgment. He referenced the 2020 situation where a national petition to dissolve Shincheonji gained over a million signatures, yet the Supreme Court ultimately acquitted Chairman Lee on charges related to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Vlasenko emphasized that legal standards must be applied equally, regardless of doctrine, and that courts must remain neutral despite societal pressure.
Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder of Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism in Zambia, raised humanitarian concerns about the detention of a 95-year-old. Drawing from his prison ministry experience, he highlighted the severe hardship detention imposes on the elderly and called for lawful alternatives such as bail or medical accommodation. He clarified that the demand is not for special treatment, but for the same fairness and dignity afforded to everyone.
The assembly concluded with the adoption of a Joint Statement, signed by Christian leaders worldwide, demanding that the South Korean government cease using religious groups as political tools, that the judiciary uphold the presumption of innocence and stop trials by public opinion, and that the court grant bail to the elderly leader. The organizers declared, '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,' and vowed to continue their response in solidarity with international human-rights organizations.
