Attempt to Secure List of Shincheonji Members in the Party
Second Search Following February 27
The Joint Investigation Headquarters, which is probing allegations of collusion between religious groups such as the Unification Church and Shincheonji and political circles, resumed a compulsory investigation into the People Power Party on March 3 over suspicions of Shincheonji members joining the party.
Joint Investigation Headquarters, 'Suspicion of Shincheonji Membership' Search and Seizure at People Power Party Headquarters. Yonhap News
On the afternoon of the same day, the Joint Investigation Headquarters attempted a search and seizure at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. The search targets also included the outsourcing company responsible for managing the party member list of the People Power Party.
The investigation team attempted a search and seizure once before, on February 27, but was forced to stop due to opposition from the People Power Party.
Shincheonji is suspected of having instructed its members to join the People Power Party and other political parties as party members en masse in order to help certain candidates win in various elections held around 2020.
During the investigation of former Shincheonji executives, the Joint Investigation Headquarters reportedly obtained testimony that Shincheonji encouraged its followers to register as full members of the People Power Party under the so-called "Pilates Project," resulting in tens of thousands of Shincheonji members joining the party as full members.
The investigation team is also said to have secured testimony that Shincheonji leaders encouraged party membership, saying, "We must repay Yoon Suk Yeol for his favor." Previously, in March 2020, the police applied for a search and seizure warrant for the Shincheonji Daegu Church, which had been identified as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the prosecution rejected the request twice. At that time, the Prosecutor General was former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Accordingly, the Joint Investigation Headquarters believes that Shincheonji disrupted the People Power Party's normal party member management and decision-making processes, including candidate selection, and is investigating possible violations of the Political Parties Act and obstruction of work.
In connection with this, the investigation team also conducted search and seizure operations last month at the Shincheonji headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, as well as the Peace Training Center (Palace of Peace) in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Shincheonji has denied all allegations of illegal party membership and interference in candidate selection.
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