Human rights groups report religious freedom violations in South Korea

European human rights organizations held a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club on August 7, 2026, to report a drastic deterioration in religious, belief, and freedom of expression in South Korea.

Groups including Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience, the Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF), and the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR/Bitter Winter) criticized the South Korean government for systemic abuse of investigative detention and judicial tools against religious minorities. Specific concerns were raised regarding the detention of elderly religious leaders, such as 95-year-old Shincheonji chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The organizations stated these actions violate international human rights standards, including the UN Mandela Rules and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The organizations also noted a lack of adequate response or reporting from European media and political institutions regarding these developments in Asia.