Justice Minister orders probe into alleged plot to free Shincheonji leader from prison

Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho has ordered a comprehensive investigation and an emergency inspection of correctional facilities amid allegations that a prison guard, who is a follower of the Shincheonji religious group, was involved in staging an "accidental fall" to facilitate the release of Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee.

Minister Chung stated on Facebook that reports from 2020 indicated a prison guard, also a Shincheonji follower, allegedly leaked internal correctional facility documents and attempted to engineer a fall for Lee Man-hee to secure his release on bail. Chung criticized such actions, stating that if true, the guard acted as a "deacon" for the religious leader rather than fulfilling their duty as a public servant. He condemned the use of state correctional administration, funded by taxpayers, for the private benefit of a specific religious group.

The minister pledged to swiftly launch a thorough investigation and inspection to uncover the truth. He assured that legal and administrative measures would be taken against any confirmed illegal activities. Furthermore, Chung committed to developing institutional improvements to prevent influential inmates from exerting undue influence within facilities or colluding with external parties in the future.

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If true, the prison guard has appointed himself a deacon for a specific religious leader, not a public servant who carries out strict punishment execution.

These allegations surfaced following a JTBC report detailing how the guard allegedly recorded and transmitted Lee Man-hee's daily activities, including details about his meals and bathroom breaks, to Shincheonji leadership while Lee was detained in 2020 for allegedly obstructing COVID-19 prevention efforts. The report also included the accusation that the guard was involved in staging the "accidental fall" to support Lee's bid for medical bail, which was granted in November 2020.

Lee Man-hee was recently arrested and indicted on charges of compelling Shincheonji members to join the ruling party's membership to influence election results in 2020 and 2024. The joint investigation team is probing suspicions of collusion between Shincheonji and political circles.

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We will swiftly launch a thorough investigation and emergency inspection of correctional facilities to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable through legal and administrative measures.