Lee Jae Myung

"Korean President Lee Jae Myung is not a theologian, nor does he pretend to be. Some might even suspect he is less well‑read on religion, perhaps even less intelligent, than Torquemada ever was. But he shares one trait with the old inquisitor: a fervent conviction that certain religious minorities are dangerous simply because they are religious minorities. And conviction, when paired with state power, is a combustible mix. Although left‑leaning, Lee is not a Communist. Yet he displays a curious fascination with China’s model of religious control—a model built on the premise that the state alone decides which religions are legitimate and which must be crushed. In China, this logic has justified the bloody repression of , The Church of Almighty God, and countless others. It is a system where the Communist Party plays the role of a secular Torquemada, and “heresy” is defined not by theology but by political obedience."

"South Korea’s Presidential New Year’s message should have brought people together. Instead, President Lee Jae-myung used his January 21 press conference to issue a sweeping condemnation of religious involvement in public life. He warned that “religious interference in politics” leads to “national downfall,” likening it to armed rebellion, and promised stricter laws to eliminate it. “The current level of punishment seems far too weak,” he said, alluding to law proposals allowing for the swift dissolution of religious organizations that violate the electoral law. He urged the use of the current investigation into the Unification Church and Shincheonji, two groups against which he called on all political parties to rally, as an “opportunity” to “root out” religious involvement in politics entirely. … Before Lee became president, Pastor Son [Hyun-bo] declared, “Lee Jae-myung must die; I mean his greediness, his hostility, and his selfishness must die.” This was typical hyperbolic language from fire and brimstone preaching, not a call for violence. To interpret metaphor as a threat is to criminalize religious expression itself."