[Official Statement] Joint Investigation Team Must Conduct a ‘Joint Investigation’ Comparing Party Membership Lists

 

[January 20, 2026]

 

Political circles and some media outlets must stop treating Shincheonji Church of Jesus as an object of political strife, and the Joint Investigation Team must conduct an impartial investigation.

 

Shincheonji Church of Jesus expresses deep concern over the proliferation of speculative reporting based solely on the one-sided claims of expelled individuals regarding “suspicions of joining the People Power Party,” “allegations of interference in the presidential election,” and “allegations of interference in the general election,” which have recently been raised by political circles and certain media outlets.

 

 

First, we state clearly: Shincheonji Church of Jesus has never instructed its members to join any political party, including the People Power Party or the Democratic Party of Korea, nor has it directed any political activities. Organized interference in elections is impossible, both structurally and factually.

 

 

Shincheonji Church of Jesus does not know the individual political choices of its members, nor does it control them. Individual political activity is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. Accordingly, the church does not track the number of members belonging to specific political parties nor does it possess any related lists.

 

 

Nevertheless, political circles and some media outlets are concluding that Shincheonji Church of Jesus systematically intervened in elections through links with a specific political party. This is tantamount to expanding and reproducing unverified speculation and pre-emptively defining the direction of the investigation.

 

 

Shincheonji Church of Jesus desires a determination of the truth based on facts, not speculation. Accordingly, we officially demand the following fair verifications from the Joint Investigation Team.

 

First, the Joint Investigation Team must conduct a simultaneous joint investigation comparing the membership list of Shincheonji Church of Jesus with the party membership lists of various political parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party. Shincheonji Church of Jesus clearly states its willingness to provide its member list with the consent of its believers. The investigation must be conducted without sacred cows, as directed by the President, rather than focusing solely on a specific political party.

 

 

Second, if there are individuals confirmed to have joined any political party, directly investigate the circumstances of their enrollment and whether there were organized instructions. Furthermore, objectively verify whether there was participation in major internal party elections, such as presidential candidate primaries and party leadership elections.

 

 

Third, if claims persist that Shincheonji Church of Jesus received special favors through political interference, clearly present the specific details and evidence for such claims. If political collusion actually existed, the current situation—in which even church facilities purchased through legitimate procedures are prohibited from being used as religious facilities—cannot be explained.

 

 

Shincheonji Church of Jesus strongly demands that this matter be clearly identified through a fair joint investigation encompassing both ruling and opposition parties, rather than raising suspicions based on a specific party.

 

 

Fourth, investigate the existence of church-state collusion for all religious organizations—including Christian, Buddhist, and Catholic churches, cathedrals, and temples—using the same methods applied to Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

 

 

 

January 20, 2026 All members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus