Human Rights Without Frontiers and four other international organisations convened at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club on 7 August 2026The groups raised concerns about the pretrial detention of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee, aged 95, citing proportionality and humanitarian standardsScholars at the event signed an official letter urging the South Korean government to immediately release Chairman Lee from custodySearch option is now available at TUKO! Representatives of international human rights and religious freedom organisations address a press conference in Seoul calling for the release of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee. He described the charges against Chairman Lee, which relate to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority, as "legally and conceptually overstretched." Broader Pattern of Religious Freedom ConcernsThe press conference also addressed wider freedom of religion concerns in South Korea. At the close of the conference, the attending scholars signed a formal letter addressed to the Government of the Republic of Korea demanding Chairman Lee's immediate release.