On August 13, seven religious organizations, including the Council for Christian Mutual Growth, the Korea Christian Leaders Training Institute, the Pastors Alliance for Life and Human Rights, the Russian Evangelical Alliance, and the Thai Evangelical Alliance Association, held the "1st Joint Assembly of World Pastors" in Dallas, Texas. The assembly brought together approximately 3,000 pastors from major countries both online and offline to sharply criticize what they describe as violations of religious freedom and the undermining of the separation of church and state in the Republic of Korea.
Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang Church of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, opened the discussion by drawing parallels between South Korea's debate over dissolving religious corporations and the recent dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan. He cited the Tokyo District Court's dissolution order in March 2025 and its finalization by Japan's Supreme Court in June 2026, highlighting the practical consequences such as loss of tax benefits and asset liquidation. Rev. Im warned that the standard used to dissolve one religious group could be applied to others in the future, referencing Article 38 of Korea's Civil Act, which permits revocation of establishment permits for "acts that harm the public interest." He noted past incidents, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government's revocation of a permit linked to Shincheonji in 2020 and the President's order in December 2025 to review the possibility of dissolving domestic religious organizations. Rev. Im stressed that investigating individual criminal allegations is distinct from targeting an entire religious community for dissolution, and he invoked Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, stating that religious freedom must not vary based on a religion's popularity.
Rev. Vitaly Kirillovich Vlasenko, General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, spoke on the theme "Public opinion cannot be a verdict." He argued that social hatred and media pressure should not influence legal judgments. He referred to the 2020 situation in Daegu when Shincheonji was linked to a COVID-19 outbreak, and a national petition demanding its dissolution surpassed 500,000 signatures within two days. Despite this public pressure, the Supreme Court of South Korea acquitted Chairman Lee Man-hee of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, while upholding guilty verdicts on other charges. Rev. Vlasenko emphasized that a court examines evidence for each specific charge, distinguishing between guilt and innocence, unlike public opinion. He urged that legal standards be applied equally to everyone, regardless of doctrine.
Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder and president of the Zambia-based Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism, raised concerns about due process and human dignity based on his prison-ministry experience. He acknowledged that Chairman Lee's long work for peace-building through HWPL does not grant him immunity from the law, but insisted that judgments must be based solely on law and evidence. He highlighted the severe hardship detention causes for the elderly and asked authorities to consider alternatives such as bail, residence restriction, or medical accommodation. He stressed that the request is not for special treatment but for the fairness and dignity owed to everyone.
The assembly concluded with the adoption of a Joint Statement signed by Christian leaders worldwide. The statement demands that the government and political circles cease using specific religions as tools of political strife, that the judiciary uphold the presumption of innocence for the elderly leader, and that the court grant bail and release him immediately due to life-threatening conditions.
The organizers stated that these cases are not the problem of one denomination but a grave warning signal for religious freedom in South Korea. They vowed to continue their response in solidarity with international human-rights organizations and churches worldwide.
