The Coordination des Associations et Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), an international NGO with special consultative status at the U.N. Economic and Social Council, has submitted a joint written statement to the U.N. Human Rights Council expressing concern over the spread of discrimination and stigma against members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, according to a press release from the church on July 9. The statement focuses less on the controversy surrounding Shincheonji itself than on the standards by which such matters are assessed, warning that negative perceptions and unverified materials formed in South Korea, if disseminated abroad, could have a serious impact on public opinion and administrative and judicial decisions in other countries.
CAP LC cited cases in the United Kingdom and German-speaking countries where negative perceptions of Shincheonji members have gone beyond public opinion and led to administrative proceedings and interference with social lives. In the UK, the Charity Commission rejected Shincheonji's application for registration, describing the church as a "cult," a term whose legal definition remains unclear. CAP LC pointed out that using such terms without clear legal basis in official procedures can produce strong social stigma. In Germany and other German-speaking countries, members have faced workplace discrimination amid negative sentiment driven by certain media and church figures, with a critical book published in 2025 by evangelical activists deepening such perceptions.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus said these cases demonstrate that unfounded stigma and unverified claims are causing disadvantages for members in workplaces, families, and social lives, and called for administrative and judicial decisions to be based on clear legal standards and verifiable evidence. The church emphasized that if such stigma gains international acceptance, other religious minorities could also be judged in the same manner, underscoring states' responsibility to protect the rights of all religious minorities.
The statement also addressed controversy in South Korea over political participation, criticizing claims by some political forces that party membership of Shincheonji members amounts to "religion-politics collusion." CAP LC called on the South Korean government to uphold freedom of religion, non-discrimination, and religious neutrality. Amid an investigation into church members' party membership, a court issued an arrest warrant for Chairman Lee Man-hee on June 24, and on June 29, the government joint investigation headquarters indicted him on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act. Shincheonji maintains that this case should be handled based on due process and objective evidence, not social perceptions or political controversy.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus also raised concerns about the necessity and proportionality of detention, noting that Lee, born in 1931 and now 95, has actively cooperated with the investigation and that key materials have already been secured through searches and seizures. The church said the discrimination cases cited by CAP LC and the investigation in South Korea raise a common question: what standards should state authorities apply when dealing with religious minorities? The issue goes beyond controversy over a particular religious group and serves as a measure of whether the rights of religious minorities are equally protected in domestic and international procedures. Ultimately, the church said, how the case is resolved will test the strength of social and institutional trust in the protection of religious minorities.
For more information, visit Shincheonji Church of Jesus at https://www.shincheonji.org/en or SCJ TV at https://www.scjtvglobal.com.
