"Arrest and Investigate Lee Man-hee" Cheong Petition Surpasses 200,000 Signatures

Petitioner: "Immediate Arrest and Investigation Needed for Livelihood Stability"
Earlier Petition Urging 'Forced Dissolution of Shincheonji' Also Gained 1.29 Million Supporters

At a press conference held on the 2nd at the Peace Palace of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Chairman Lee Man-hee is seen conversing with an official. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] A Blue House petition demanding the arrest and investigation of Lee Man-hee, the president of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), has gained the support of over 200,000 people and is awaiting an official response from the Blue House.

On the 25th of last month, a post titled "We urge the immediate arrest and investigation of Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee" was published on the Blue House petition board. The post reached 200,000 signatures on the 17th, nine days before the deadline. As of 10 a.m. that day, the number of participants exceeded 201,200.

The petitioner stated, "Shincheonji is an anti-state criminal group disguised as a religion, and Lee Man-hee is a shameless religious fraudster and a violator of public welfare," adding, "The government should guarantee the pursuit of happiness for the followers and their families, and for the stability of public welfare, immediately arrest Lee Man-hee and key figures, and launch a thorough investigation into Shincheonji."

A petition titled "We Urge the Immediate Arrest and Investigation of Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 25th of last month. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture

He said, "According to the disclosed list, the church has only 82 locations nationwide, but there are more than 1,000 affiliated facilities such as centers. This proves that they are a fraudulent group," adding, "There are still many hidden facilities, and disguised churches using the names of orthodox churches are hardly included."

He continued, "Shincheonji’s secret proselytizing activities cause followers to give up their studies or jobs and destroy families, creating serious social problems," emphasizing, "Ultimately, it has become a cause of the national disaster of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)."

The petitioner also said, "For effective quarantine, it is essential to identify all Shincheonji-related facilities and personnel," adding, "Religious freedom must be guaranteed, but various criminal acts related to this should be punished according to the law."

The petition met the criteria to receive a Blue House response by gaining more than 200,000 supporters within 30 days of posting.

Previously posted petition titled "We petition for the forced dissolution of Shincheonji" also gained 1,295,006 supporters and is currently awaiting a response.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.