Senior Presidential Secretary and Lawmakers Pay a Visit
No Charges Found After Search... Criticism of Special Prosecutor's Response
Presidential Office: "Efforts to Prevent Recurrence"
Pastor Lee Younghoon: "No Room for Misunderstandings of Religious Persecution"
On the morning of December 23, Jeon Seonghwan, Senior Secretary for Listening Integration at the Presidential Office, along with members of the National Assembly and other political figures, paid a visit to Pastor Lee Younghoon, the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church. During the visit, they expressed regret over the recent search and seizure conducted at Pastor Lee's residence and church office as part of the Chae Marine Special Prosecutor's investigation. They conveyed an official apology on behalf of the government and the political community.
On the morning of the 23rd, Jeon Seonghwan, Senior Secretary for Listening Integration at the Presidential Secretariat, along with members of the National Assembly and other political figures, paid a visit to Pastor Lee Younghoon, the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church. Provided by Yoido Full Gospel Church
The breakfast meeting, held at 7:30 a.m. at a restaurant in Yeouido, was arranged so that officials from the Presidential Office and political figures could personally meet with Pastor Lee and communicate their position following the announcement of the special prosecutor's investigation results.
The attendees voiced deep concern over what they described as excessive and unreasonable search and seizure measures, especially considering that Pastor Lee was only summoned as a witness. They specifically pointed out the lack of an official expression of regret or apology from the special prosecutor's team, despite the fact that no significant evidence was found as a result of the search.
An official from the Presidential Office, along with Assembly members Yeom Taeyoung, Song Kiheon, and Lee Yongseon, stated, "We will make institutional improvements and redouble our efforts to ensure that such investigative actions do not happen again to churches and pastors who have played a significant role in social welfare and care."
In response, Pastor Lee Younghoon emphasized, "In accordance with the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, the government must respect the role of religious communities and churches." He added, "We must ensure that, under no circumstances, actions are taken that could be misunderstood as human rights violations or religious persecution." He further stressed, "Let us use this incident as an opportunity for the church and government to work together to overcome current challenges and take the lead in restoring people's livelihoods."
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