Faith Leaders Protest State Assault on Religion

South Korean religious councils protest state overreach following inhuman detention of 82-year-old Mother Han

On 13^th October, the South Korean newspaper Segye Ilbo published a report  which translated to English would carry the headline “Detaining President Hak Ja Han Is an Infringement on Religious Freedom – Korea Council of Religious Leaders (KCRL) and KCLC Issue Declaration on Religious Freedom”. The piece was penned by Religious Affairs Reporter Jeong Seong-su (정성수).

See also Arbitrary Detention of Mother Han, Pastor Son

See also In Detention: Mother Han’s Condition and Words

See also Mother Han (82) in Poor Health in Damp, Cold Cell

See also Law as Weapon: Old Age and Frail Health Ignored

See also Mother Han’s Arrest and Purge of Faith in SKorea

See also SKorean Court’s Sharp Criticism of Prosecutors

See also Mother Han Briefly Released for Medical Reasons

In South Korea, tensions between religious communities and state authorities have intensified following the arrest of Hak Ja Han, president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Prominent religious groups, including the Korean Christian Leaders Council (KCLC) and the Korea Council of Religious Leaders (KCRL), have denounced the move as an infringement on constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. The controversy has sparked widespread concern over what faith leaders describe as an alarming encroachment of political and prosecutorial power into religious affairs.

The Segye Ilbo article describes how on 13^th October, representatives from KCLC and KCRL gathered outside the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, just outside Seoul to issue their Second Declaration on Religious Freedom. The event, attended by roughly 300 religious leaders and followers, took the form of a public prayer meeting and a press statement urging government restraint and transparency in handling religious organizations.

The declaration was prompted by a special prosecutor’s investigation that included the arrest of Hak Ja Han and the search of several prominent religious institutions – among them Yoido Full Gospel Church, Far East Broadcasting Company, and the Family Federation (also known as the Unification Church). According to KCLC and KCRL, these actions amount to a direct violation of Article 20 of the South Korean Constitution, which enshrines the freedom of religion and the separation of religion and state.

KCLC argued that the investigation reflects a growing trend of prejudice against religious organizations, warning that politically motivated scrutiny could destabilize the country’s democratic principles. The council emphasized that the use of state power against faith communities not only undermines the independence of religion but also threatens the broader foundation of democracy and human rights in South Korea.

In their joint statement, the two religious councils issued three key demands to the authorities. First, they called for an end to biased and politically motivated investigations and insisted on fair legal procedures. Second, they urged the media and investigators to refrain from indiscriminate raids and speculative reporting that could damage reputations without evidence. Third, they demanded the cessation of one-sided inquiries and human rights violations stemming from the probe.

Religious Affairs Reporter Jeong Seong-su points out that the declaration also extended concern beyond Christian communities. With allegations of political involvement emerging even within certain Buddhist orders, KCLC warned of a “dangerous trend” in which political bias is spreading across religious boundaries. The group stressed the need for unity among all faith traditions to defend the principle of religious freedom regardless of doctrine or denomination.

A separate news report by Peace TV on 18^th October features an extract from a short speech by Rev. Hong Yun-jeong, Chairman of the Korea Council of Religious Leaders, delivered at the event 13^th October,

“Please become the righteous people of this era. When politicians are corrupt, when those in power remain silent, who is it that has the mission to reveal truth in the darkness of history and become a light for the nation? It is the religious leaders of the nation.

Like the prophecy in Isaiah’s era which lamented that there was not even one righteous person, I earnestly appeal once again that you become truly righteous people for this time. I earnestly request once again that you become the Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles of this era.”

In closing, KCLC and KCRL vowed to continue mobilizing religious communities nationwide to resist what they view as state overreach. The organizations plan to expand interfaith cooperation, pursue legal and institutional reforms, and advocate for stronger human rights protections for religious practitioners.

The event outside the detention center symbolized more than a protest – it was a collective declaration that South Korea’s faith leaders intend to safeguard their constitutional rights and resist any erosion of religious liberty in the face of growing political and judicial pressure.

See also Complaint Filed Against Lead Special Prosecutor

See also Arbitrary Detention of Mother Han, Pastor Son

See also In Detention: Mother Han’s Condition and Words

See also Worrying Health Update for Detained Mother Han

See also Law as Weapon: Old Age and Frail Health Ignored

See also Mother Han’s Arrest and Purge of Faith in SKorea

See also Mother Han: “The Truth Will Surely Be Revealed”

See also Firsthand Account of Ordeal of Mother Han (82)

See also Response to Recent SKorean Media Allegations

See also HQ Statement on Mother Han’s Court Appearance

See also A 10-Minute Visit to Mother Han in Detention

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Religious leaders at the prayer rally in support of Mother Han 13th October 2025 outside Seoul Detention Center. Screenshot from video by PeaceTV.

See also Mother Han’s December Trial: Long Detention Ahead

See also SKorean Court’s Sharp Criticism of Prosecutors

See also Detention: Harsh Cell Conditions Spark Outcry

See also Court Decision to Prolong Detention Condemned

See also Co-Founder, 82, Questioned 9 Hours by Prosecutors

See also Korean Crisis: “True Democracy Must Serve Heaven”

See also News Release Blasts Indictment of Hak Ja Han, 82

Related to faith leaders protest state assault: Denying Allegations: Hak Ja Han (82) in Inquiry

Also related to faith leaders protest state assault: Ugly: Arrest Warrant Sought for Hak Ja Han (82)

And also related to faith leaders protest state assault: Critics Warn of “Authoritarian Drift” in SKorea

More, related to faith leaders protest state assault: 70 Years On: Detention History Repeats Itself

And more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Trump Raises Alarm Over Church Raids in Korea

Even more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Mike Pompeo Calls Probe of Co-Founder “Lawfare”

Still more, related to faith leaders protest state assault:  Korean Faith Crackdown: USA Urged to Confront It

Yet more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Korean Bribery Scandal: Media Clears Federation

And also related to faith leaders protest state assault: Raids Blur Line Between Justice and Politics

More, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Heavy-Handed Raid on Sacred Sites Condemned

And more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Scholar Sounds Alarm: State Raiding the Sacred

Even more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Raids as Political Spectacle and Media Trials

And even more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Religious Freedom: 330 Faith Leaders Speak Up

Yet more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Yonhap: Repeated Allegations Create Public Bias

Still more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Japan Following the Way of China

And still more, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Warning of Threat from CCP Fearing Korean Unity

And also related to faith leaders protest state assault: Japan’s Dissolution Case Echoes China’s Playbook

Also related to faith leaders protest state assault: Communists of China Exploiting Assassination

And also related to faith leaders protest state assault: “Lawyers Lying and Shaming Japan” for 50 Years

More, related to faith leaders protest state assault: Lawfare: State Uses Legal System in War on Faith