Shincheonji Church leader acquitted of charges of violating virus control laws

The leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Lee Man-hee was acquitted of charges of violating virus control laws Friday. The Supreme Court
upheld a lower court's ruling acquitting Lee but also upheld a three year prison sentence..

Leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Lee Man-hee during a press conference in March 2020. [YONHAP]

The leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Lee Man-hee was acquitted of charges of violating virus control laws Friday.

The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling acquitting Lee but also upheld a three year prison sentence, suspended for five years, for embezzlement and obstruction of business.

Investigations began on Lee after the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 exploded in Daegu and were linked to Shincheonji followers in February 2020. Lee was eventually charged with submitting false lists of people who had visited Shincheonji churches and facility reports to quarantine authorities.

The key issue of Lee’s trial was whether the list of church members was eligible as epidemiological investigation data. The court decided that the requests by quarantine authorities for Lee to submit lists of members and facility reports could not be regarded as epidemiological data and that it also could not be proven that the information Lee did submit was false.

Lee founded the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in 1984. The church has over 230,000 members and is considered to be a cult by many.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]