DALLAS, TX — On August 13, an unprecedented coalition of seven Christian organizations from South Korea and abroad convened the "1st Joint Assembly of World Pastors," drawing nearly 3,000 clergy from major nations. The assembly sharply criticized what they describe as escalating violations of religious freedom and the erosion of church-state separation in the Republic of Korea. Speakers, including overseas pastors from Russia and Zambia, framed the issue as a global concern, not limited to one denomination or nation.
Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang Church (Presbyterian Church of Korea), opened by warning against the dangerous precedent of dissolving religious corporations. He cited the recent Japanese case where the former Unification Church lost its legal status, noting that while the faith itself was not banned, the practical consequences—loss of tax benefits and asset liquidation—were severe. He pointed to Article 38 of Korea's Civil Act, which permits revocation of a corporation's permit for "acts that harm the public interest," questioning who defines such harm and by what standard. He referenced the 2020 revocation of a Shincheonji-linked association's permit during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2025 presidential order to review dissolution of domestic religious groups. "The most dangerous thing is that it is not objective criminal facts but 'social unpopularity' that operates as grounds for dissolution," he warned, invoking Article 18 of the ICCPR to stress that religious freedom must not depend on a religion's popularity.
Rev. Vitaly Kirillovich Vlasenko, General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, addressed the theme "Public opinion cannot be a verdict." He argued that social hatred and media scrutiny cannot justify declaring someone guilty before trial. He recalled the 2020 situation when Shincheonji was linked to COVID-19 and a petition for its dissolution exceeded one million signatures, creating an atmosphere of prejudgment. However, he noted that the Supreme Court ultimately acquitted Chairman Lee Man-hee on infectious disease charges, highlighting the difference between public opinion and judicial judgment. "The stronger the social pressure, the more fair and neutral the trial must be," he insisted, urging equal application of the law.
Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder of Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism in Zambia, brought a humanitarian perspective from his prison ministry. He emphasized that detention is especially harsh for the elderly and called for lawful alternatives such as bail or medical accommodation. "We are not demanding special treatment because he is a religious leader," he said. "We are asking that the fairness, dignity, and universal rights owed to everyone be extended equally to him."
The assembly concluded with a joint statement demanding that the government cease using specific religions as political tools, that the judiciary uphold the presumption of innocence and halt trials by public opinion, and that the court grant bail to the 95-year-old leader whose life is under threat. Organizers declared, "These cases are a grave warning signal spanning religious freedom in South Korea as a whole," and pledged to continue their solidarity with international human-rights organizations and churches worldwide.
