Prosecutors Request Arrest Warrant for Saegero Church Pastor Son Hyunbo on Charges of Violating Public Official Election Act

It has been revealed that prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for Son Hyunbo, the senior pastor of Saegero Church, a major church in Busan, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

The Busan Prosecutors' Office requested the arrest warrant for Pastor Son on September 3, and the warrant review hearing is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. on September 8 at the Busan District Court.

Previously, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency received a complaint against Pastor Son from the National Election Commission in April. In May, the police searched Pastor Son's office and mobile phone and launched an investigation.

The National Election Commission determined that Pastor Son's act of conducting an interview with a candidate during church service ahead of the Busan superintendent of education by-election, and releasing it on YouTube, constituted preliminary election campaigning. The prosecution applied the same charges and requested an arrest warrant.

In response, Pastor Son's side argued, "It was merely a policy inquiry about political positions, and there was never any appeal to support a specific candidate," adding, "We were simply confirming positions on major issues such as the Anti-Discrimination Act."

They also claimed, "It is excessive to seize the mobile phone and even request an arrest warrant, despite there being video evidence of the remarks made during the service," and insisted, "Liberal democracy is being seriously undermined."