Korean PM Kim Min-Seok: “Heretical cults must be eradicated. Moonies and Shincheonji must be investigated fully”

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on the 13th that “pseudo-religious heretical cults are a social evil that must be eradicated,” and instructed authorities to “conduct a thorough joint investigation into the Unification Church and Shincheonji, among others.” He also ordered that “all government ministries seek measures to eliminate the harms caused by pseudo-religious cults.”

Kim made the remarks while presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Seoul earlier that morning. He stated that such groups “have become fertile ground for state capture through corruption and illegal practices arising from collusion between religion and politics, and have become a public enemy that damages Korea’s national standing by being linked to various crimes and illegal activities overseas.” He warned that “if left unchecked, they will cause serious harm at the national level.”

The issue of so-called “pseudo-religious heretical cults” was also raised the previous day at a luncheon meeting at Cheong Wa Dae between President Lee Jae-myung and leaders of seven major religious traditions, including Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Won Buddhism, Confucianism, Cheondoism, and indigenous ethnic religions.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said in a written briefing that the religious leaders expressed concern that “the harms caused by pseudo-religious groups such as the Unification Church and Shincheonji are severe,” adding that “their behavior, which goes beyond collusion between religion and politics and causes serious damage to citizens’ lives, must be dealt with strictly.” President Lee was quoted as responding that “the harm these groups inflict on our society has been neglected for far too long, and the resulting damage is extremely serious.”