Shincheonji Chairman indicted for tax evasion; investigation probes mass party joinings

South Korea's joint investigation team is probing allegations that members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus systematically joined the Democratic Party. This investigation is part of a broader inquiry into potential collusion between religious groups and political parties.

In parallel, Shincheonji's chairman, Lee Man-hee, has been indicted on additional charges of tax evasion. He is accused of defrauding the government of approximately 7.5 billion won (around $5.7 million USD) between 2016 and 2020. The alleged scheme involved operating church-affiliated shops under the names of individual members to conceal revenue and maintain dual bookkeeping records, thereby hiding cash sales from tax authorities.

The tax evasion case is a reinvestigation, as prosecutors had initially decided not to indict Lee and others in October 2021, following a tax audit by authorities. However, the joint investigation team reopened the case in February, conducting searches and seizing financial records from Shincheonji's headquarters and various branch offices.

Lee Man-hee is already facing legal proceedings related to allegations of orchestrating the mass joining of Shincheonji members into the People Power Party. He was indicted in June on charges of forcing over 50,000 members to join the party between 2021 and 2024, allegedly to influence party primaries and general elections. The current investigation is also exploring evidence suggesting similar mass joinings into the Democratic Party, with the team identifying instances of Shincheonji organizations joining the party in specific regions. Investigators are examining whether these actions were intended to influence local elections, particularly the June local elections, by leveraging party memberships.

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The joint investigation headquarters is investigating the circumstances of Shincheonji members joining the Democratic Party en masse.