UN-affiliated rights group raises alarm over growing stigma against Shincheonji across borders

Concerns are mounting over the spread of discrimination and stigma against members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus across international borders, with a leading human rights organisation urging governments to base decisions on verifiable evidence rather than unverified claims.

The international human rights group CAP LC, which holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, has submitted a joint written statement to the UN Human Rights Council expressing concern over what it describes as the growing internationalisation of unfounded stigma against the religious group.

In its statement, the organisation focused less on the controversy surrounding Shincheonji itself and more on the standards by which such matters are assessed.

CAP LC warned that negative perceptions and unverified materials formed in South Korea, if disseminated abroad, could have a serious impact not only on public opinion in other countries but also on administrative and judicial decisions.

The group therefore urged governments to base any decisions concerning Shincheonji Church of Jesus on verifiable evidence and clear legal standards.

The statement cited cases in the United Kingdom and German-speaking countries where negative perceptions of Shincheonji members have gone beyond public opinion to affect administrative proceedings and individuals' social lives.

In the United Kingdom, 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 a clear legal basis in official administrative procedures can produce a strong social stigma that disproportionately affects members.

In Germany and other German-speaking countries, cases have been reported of members facing workplace discrimination amid negative public sentiment driven by certain media outlets and church figures. CAP LC said a critical book published in 2025 by evangelical activists was a major factor in deepening such discriminatory perceptions.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus said such cases were not limited to isolated incidents. The church maintained that unfounded stigma and unverified claims were causing disadvantages for individual members in their workplaces, families and broader social lives, and called for administrative and judicial decisions in each country to be based on clear legal standards and verifiable evidence.

The statement also shed light on controversy in South Korea over political participation. CAP LC criticised claims by some political forces that the party membership of Shincheonji members amounted to "religion-politics collusion," saying political participation should not be treated as grounds for suspicion solely because those involved are members of a particular religion.

On that basis, the group called on the South Korean government to uphold freedom of religion, the principle of non-discrimination and the state's religious neutrality.

While the final determination of the charges will be made through the trial process, Shincheonji maintains that this case, too, should be handled in accordance with due process and objective evidence, rather than social perceptions or political controversy.

The necessity and proportionality of detention during the investigation have also emerged as issues. Shincheonji maintains that detention should be subject to stricter scrutiny, given that Lee, born in 1931 and now 95, is of advanced age, has actively cooperated with the investigation, and that key materials have already been secured through searches and seizures.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus said the cases of discrimination cited in CAP LC's statement and the investigation in South Korea raised a common question: what standards should state judicial and administrative authorities apply when dealing with religious minorities?

The church said the issue went beyond controversy over a particular religious group and served as a measure of whether the rights of religious minorities are being equally protected in domestic and international procedures.

"This is why the international community is watching the case, to determine whether legal grounds and the principles of due process are being consistently upheld in South Korea's investigation and in administrative and judicial decisions in other countries," the church said in a statement.

Ultimately, the church said, how the case is resolved would serve as a test of the strength of social and institutional trust in the protection of religious minorities, beyond the matter of a single religious organisation.