Shincheonji's Lee Man-hee Granted Bail Request... Court Cites "Health Deterioration" Consideration

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Lee Man-hee, the chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, who was arrested and indicted on charges of obstructing the government's COVID-19 quarantine activities, has been granted bail.

On the 12th, the Criminal Division 11 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Mikyung) approved Lee's bail request on the condition of electronic monitoring device attachment, residence restrictions, and payment of a bail bond of 100 million won.

The court stated the reason for approval, saying, "Since the trial has progressed considerably with witness examinations and documentary evidence investigations for key witnesses, there is little risk of evidence destruction. Considering the defendant's advanced age and apparent health deterioration while in custody, as well as the defendant's consistent attendance at the trial, there are sufficient grounds to grant bail based on the records, interrogations, and circumstances revealed during the trial process."

Earlier, Lee was arrested in August and indicted, and through his attorney, he requested bail. He asked the court to grant bail due to difficulties in enduring detention because of health issues.

With this court decision, Lee is expected to be released from Suwon Detention Center and to stand trial in a non-custodial status starting from the hearing on the 16th.

Meanwhile, Lee was arrested and indicted on charges of conspiring with Shincheonji executives in February, when COVID-19 was spreading, to underreport the list of followers and meeting locations to quarantine authorities.

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