Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), alongside CAP Liberté de Conscience, FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, convened a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club on August 7, 2026, to address growing concerns over freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea. The organizations highlighted the cases of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, urging authorities to review their detentions and ensure legal responses to religious minorities remain neutral and proportionate.
The conference underscored a broader pattern of religious freedom issues in South Korea, including reported harassment of Segero Church in Busan, conscientious objection concerns, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and questions about religious accommodation in education. HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors, noting that alternative civilian service is implemented punitively, requiring 36 months in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service.
Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, opened the conference by stating that the issues "lie at the heart of democratic society," warning that stigmatizing religious communities and restricting peaceful gatherings have consequences "extend far beyond any single group or case." He emphasized that the conference aimed to defend the principle that fundamental rights apply equally to all.
Thierry Valle, President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, questioned the legality of Chairman Lee's detention under international law, referencing South Korea's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995. He stressed that the presumption of innocence must prevail, citing precedents like Cardinal Joseph Zen's 2022 release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam's house arrest of Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention was necessary given sufficient evidence for indictment and whether that evidence was gathered neutrally, rather than through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued the case raises broader questions about balancing election protection measures with constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom.
Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, shared findings from recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, noting a worrisome increase in hostility toward the peaceful movement. He stressed that Shincheonji is a global religious movement, and disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects congregants abroad, whose rights under ICCPR Articles 18 and 19 are inalienable.
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 like the Mandela Rules call for house arrest for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offence. He described the charges as "legally and conceptually overstretched," fitting a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths.
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, media, and the international community to examine these developments with attention to due process, proportionality, and equal protection of fundamental rights. At the conclusion, scholars signed an official letter urging the South Korean government to immediately release Chairman Lee from custody.
