Editing Shincheonji Church of Jesus (section)

===Criminal charges against group's leader===
On July 31, 2020, Lee Man-Hee was arrested by South Korean authorities for allegedly hiding crucial information from [[Contact tracing|contact-tracers]] and other offenses; by this time the Shincheonji Church was being linked to more than 5,200 coronavirus infections, or 36% of South Korea's total cases.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=South Korea sect leader arrested over coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-church/south-korea-sect-leader-arrested-over-coronavirus-outbreak-idUSKCN24W37V |work=Reuters |location=Seoul |date=July 31, 2020 |access-date=August 1, 2020 }}</ref> Prosecutors specifically alleged that Lee had failed to provide health authorities with a complete lists of church members in violation of South Korea's Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.<ref name="ReutersAcquit">{{cite news |first=Hyonhee |last=Shin |date=January 13, 2021 |title=South Korea church leader acquitted on charge of blocking virus effort: Yonhap |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-church/south-korea-church-leader-acquitted-on-charge-of-blocking-virus-effort-yonhap-idUSKBN29I0RD |quote=Lee Man-hee, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded and heads the Shincheonji Church of Jesus}}</ref> The Vice Minister of the [[Ministry of Health and Welfare (South Korea)]] publicly stated that Shincheonji has cooperated with authorities.<ref name="USCIRF">{{cite web |url=https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2020%20Factsheet%20Covid-19%20and%20FoRB.pdf |title=The Global Response to the Coronavirus: Impact on Religious Practice and Religious Freedom |last=U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom |date=March 2020|access-date=19 March 2020}}</ref>

Lee was initially [[Pretrial detention|detained pending trial]], and several previous appeals for bail were initially rejected.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20201112105151061?input=1195m|title=Is Shincheonji the Scapegoat Sacrificed in South Korea's Witch-Hunt?|date=29 September 2020|newspaper=Dae Han News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20200928/103174279/1|title='Will I be alive for the trial…' Wheel-chaired Lee Man Hee Appeals for Bail|date=28 September 2020|newspaper=[[The Dong-a Ilbo]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kyeonggi.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2320236|title=Opinion: Bail Permission for Lee Man-hee, Chairman of Shincheonji, should be made according to rational judgment|date=30 September 2020|newspaper=[[:kr:경기일보]]}}</ref> However, on November 12, 2020, the court granted bail to Lee, with the court noting Lee's consistent attendance and compliance during court proceedings, as well as the health concerns of detaining a 90-year-old senior in prison.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dhns.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=250022|title=Court, Permits Shincheonji's Lee Man Hee Bail Request...|date=12 November 2020|newspaper=[[Yonhap News Agency]]}}</ref>

Prosecutors sought a five-year prison sentence and a fine of {{KRWConvert|3|m|year=2021|r=0}} on the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act charges.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1006114634|title=Prosecutors sentence Shincheonji Lee Man-hee to five years in prison...|date=9 December 2020|newspaper=[[Seoul Broadcasting System]]}}</ref><ref name=ReutersAcquit/> In January 2021, the [[Suwon]] District Court acquitted Lee of the COVID-19-related charges, ruling that lists of church members were not "key elements of epidemiological surveys" defined in the Act.<ref name=ReutersAcquit/> However, the court, found Lee guilty of [[Embezzlement|embezzling]] {{KRWConvert|5.6|b|year=2021}} from the church to build a home, and of using government facilities to conduct religious services, and issued a four-year suspended sentence to Lee.<ref name=ReutersAcquit/>

The Supreme Court of Korea in 2022 affirmed the lower court's decisions: acquittal on COVID-19 charges and conviction for embezzlement.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 14, 2022 |last1=Seo |first1=Ji-eun |last2=Lim |first2=Jeong-won |title=Shincheonji leader acquitted of disease control act violations |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/08/14/national/socialAffairs/Korea-Shincheonji-Lee-Manhee/20220814172634070.html |access-date=2023-08-07 |work=[[Korea Joongang Daily]] |language=en}}</ref>