[Shincheonji Press Release] Religious Leaders and Opinion Leaders Issue Protest Statement Against Gyeonggi Province’s Biased Religious Suppression

[Shincheonji Press Release] Religious Leaders and Opinion Leaders

Issue Protest Statement Against Gyeonggi Province’s

Biased Religious Suppression

▎ 1,735 names, including 402 organizations, 758 religious representatives, and 997 notable figures, signed the statement.

▎ “The sudden cancellation of the venue by Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Tourism Organization constitutes clear religious suppression through public authority.”

▎ “Respect for constitutional religious freedom and human rights must be upheld. An official apology and disciplinary action against those responsible are necessary.”

Since November 15, members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (hereafter referred to as Shincheonji Church), have been holding protests in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government and Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. On November 27, religious leaders and opinion leaders gathered in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building to protest.

This gathering aimed to condemn the cancellation of the "Religious Leaders’ Forum and Graduation Ceremony," which was scheduled to take place at Paju Imjingak Peace Nuri last month. The venue was canceled on October 29, the day of the event and one day prior, by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. People were gathered to claim violated constitutional rights to religious freedom.

A group of 20 religious leaders, including Christian pastors and Buddhist monks, read a joint protest statement in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building and delivered it to officials.

The joint statement was signed by 402 domestic and international organizations, 758 religious representatives, and 977 prominent figures, amounting to a total of 1,735 signatories.

In their statement, they expressed “deep shock and serious regret” over the cancellation of the event, which was intended to promote peace and commemorate religious freedom, bringing together over 30,000 attendees from 78 countries.

They criticized the unilateral cancellation, pointing out that “event preparations had been conducted lawfully over several months, and even the day before, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization confirmed there were no plans to cancel.” However, they claimed, “Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization succumbed to pressure from privileged Christian groups and unilaterally canceled the venue on the day of the event.”

Highlighting the inconsistency, they stated, “While other events at the same location were carried out without issue, the abrupt cancellation of this event clearly demonstrates religious suppression using public authority.” They emphasized that “this biased and arbitrary act of religious suppression caused financial losses amounting to hundreds of billions of won and inflicted significant psychological harm on participants from around the world.”

They accused Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization of undermining the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom and the principle of separation of church and state through “irresponsible and oppressive actions.” They demanded accountability and called for an official apology.

They further urged, “Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization must issue a formal apology to domestic and international religious organizations and the global community. Appropriate disciplinary action must also be taken against those responsible to restore the nation’s reputation as a country of law and principles.”

To prevent recurrence, they proposed strengthening fair and transparent venue booking procedures and pre-consultation systems to avoid undue influence from privileged groups.

They also addressed Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province, urging him to “take responsibility for the incident and formally apologize to the 30,000 religious leaders and participants from 78 countries who intended to attend the event.”

In conclusion, they stated, “We strongly demand respect for constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and human rights and call for fair treatment of all citizens based on principles and rules. We urge Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization to take swift and concrete actions.”

A representative from Shincheonji Church added, “Given that religious leaders and opinion leaders recognize the severity of this incident and are calling for an official apology and preventive measures, Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Gyeonggi Province, and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization must clearly state their position on this matter.”

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