[Shincheonji Press Release] Rebuttal to Governor Kim Dong-yeon's Remarks on Shincheonji's Venue Cancellation

[Shincheonji Press Release] Rebuttal to Governor Kim Dong-yeon's Remarks

on Shincheonji's Venue Cancellation

On November 29, at the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, Governor Kim Dong-yeon failed to provide clear justification regarding the cancellation of Shincheonji Church of Jesus’ venue reservation. His statements unjustly targeted a specific religious group, making him vulnerable to criticism for scapegoating Shincheonji. In response, Shincheonji Church of Jesus seeks to correct his misstatements and highlight the injustice of the cancellation.

 

1. Denial of Religious Suppression

Governor Kim Dong-yeon:

“The cancellation of the venue by Gyeonggi Province was to protect the safety and lives of residents and had nothing to do with religious suppression. The same action would have been taken against any other group.”

Shincheonji Church of Jesus:

Governor Kim claims that the cancellation was to ensure residents’ safety, but he failed to provide any evidence showing how Shincheonji’s event posed a threat to public safety.

If the root cause of the security concerns was the distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets, the focus should have been on stopping those activities rather than canceling Shincheonji’s unrelated event.

Notably, right before Governor Kim decided to cancel the venue, a Protestant group held a rally urging the cancellation of Shincheonji’s event. The sequence of events suggests that the decision to cancel the venue, citing security concerns, was influenced by this rally. By canceling a religious event unrelated to the security issue, Governor Kim appears to have acted in favor of a particular religious faction, incorporating religious bias into his administrative judgment.

 

There was no valid reason or evidence to justify labeling Shincheonji’s event as a risk. By canceling the event on the day it was scheduled, Governor Kim not only violated Shincheonji’s right to religious freedom but also undermined the constitutional principle of separating religion from politics (Constitution, Article 20, Clauses 1 and 2).

Furthermore, Governor Kim’s assertion that “the same action would have been taken against any other group” is a hypothetical claim unsupported by actual precedents. Such statements fail to convincingly refute allegations of religious suppression and instead raise doubts about administrative impartiality.

2. Designation of Risk Areas and Anti-North Korea Leaflet Distribution

Governor Kim Dong-yeon:

“On October 16, the province designated Paju, Gimpo, and Yeoncheon as risk areas. During the same period when Shincheonji planned its event (October 29-31), the Association of Families of Abductees announced their intent to distribute anti-North Korea leaflets.”

Shincheonji Church of Jesus:

Governor Kim’s attempt to justify the cancellation by citing the October 16 risk area designation is logically flawed. In fact, the designation was part of an administrative order under the Disaster and Safety Management Act to prevent anti-North Korea leaflet activities. The provincial government had the authority to stop such activities directly. However, instead of addressing the actual cause of the security concern (anti-North Korea leaflet distribution), the province unjustly targeted and canceled an unrelated religious event.

If public safety was genuinely at risk, Gyeonggi Province should have suspended all venue reservations in the Imjingak Peace Park area or devised comprehensive measures following the October 16 designation. The lack of such actions, combined with the decision to single out a specific religious event, casts doubt on the province’s commitment to public safety and suggests a politically motivated attempt to gain favor with certain Protestant groups by invoking security concerns.

3. Conflict with the Abductee Family Association

Governor Kim Dong-yeon:

“On the day of Shincheonji’s planned event, clashes occurred involving the Abductee Family Association’s distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets, police, special investigators, and northern residents, which posed a significant risk of conflict. Indeed, clashes occurred on October 30.”

Shincheonji Church of Jesus:

The “clashes” Governor Kim referred to were physical altercations that arose from efforts to prevent the distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets. These incidents had no direct connection to military tensions or security threats involving North Korea. Using terms like “clashes” and “security threats” to create an atmosphere of fear is misleading and diverts attention from the real issues at hand.

Furthermore, the Abductee Family Association had already announced their plans to distribute leaflets on October 24-25, giving Governor Kim ample time to intervene. There was also sufficient opportunity to engage in dialogue with Shincheonji Church of Jesus. However, neither Gyeonggi Province nor the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization mentioned any security concerns to Shincheonji until the day before the event. This indicates that the cancellation was a politically calculated move under the guise of safety concerns. 

4. Deflecting Responsibility for the Cancellation

Governor Kim Dong-yeon:

“The responsibility for venue reservations at Imjingak Peace Park lies with the president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. The cancellation was an inevitable measure based on the safety of northern residents and the escalating inter-Korean tensions.” 

Shincheonji Church of Jesus:

While claiming that his top priority is the safety of residents, Governor Kim simultaneously shifted responsibility for the cancellation to the head of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, demonstrating an unwillingness to take accountability. Although he cited security concerns to justify the cancellation, his statements suggest an underlying fear of legal and public backlash. This deflection of responsibility indicates that the decision was driven by political expediency rather than genuine concern for safety. 

Governor Kim also expressed “regret” over the cancellation’s impact but failed to propose any measures for compensation. Given the clear religious discrimination and the resulting harm to Shincheonji Church of Jesus, he should have initiated a dialogue with the church and developed concrete compensation plans.

Instead, the provincial government unilaterally canceled the event without explanation, undermining public trust and exhibiting a lack of administrative integrity. Governor Kim’s response comes across as a defensive strategy to evade accountability for unlawful administrative actions. 

Conclusion

Governor Kim Dong-yeon’s explanation for the cancellation of Shincheonji’s venue reservation is riddled with excuses and attempts to deflect responsibility. By ignoring the real security threat posed by anti-North Korea leaflet distribution and succumbing to pressure from Protestant groups, he has revealed his bias by canceling an unrelated religious event.

We call on Governor Kim to stop making incomprehensible excuses and come forward with a sincere apology and specific compensation measures for the members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus who are currently protesting in front of Gyeonggi Provincial Government. If he refuses or continues to evade responsibility, we will pursue all legal and societal avenues to hold him accountable and ensure that he faces the consequences of his actions.

#Biased #religiousoppression #Gyeonggi_do #Gyeonggi_Tourism_Organization

#Freedom_of_Religion #Human_Rights_Violation #ShincheonjiChurch #Rally_to_Denounce #ProtectLaw #AdminTyrant #PoliticsReligionLink