Main opposition demands probe into suspicious membership of Shincheonji followers in ruling party

The Korea Times - Oct 14, 2026

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday called for a thorough investigation after followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, were found to have joined the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). The DPK confirmed the findings following an internal investigation but did not provide further details, including how many Shincheonji members had joined the party. "We strongly urge the newly established Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) or the police to swiftly investigate whether (Shincheonji) members joined the Democratic Party of Korea, applying the same standards," PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig said, referring to an earlier police raid of the PPP's headquarters over allegations of Shincheonji followers being forced to join the party. "Investigators even carried out a search and seizure of our party's membership records in connection with the mass recruitment of Shincheonji members," he added. A joint prosecution-police investigation team has determined that at least 56,472 church members were forced to join the PPP, with the chu

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