Jeong Seong-ho

Jeong Seong-ho (Korean: 정성호) is a South Korean politician. He is currently the Minister of Justice and was a member of the National Assembly. Quotes about Jeong South Korea’s Minister of Justice, Jeong Seong-ho, has published an extraordinary Facebook post confirming what many feared. A ninety-five-year-old man, Shincheonji’s Chairman Lee Manhee, is being held in detention on accusations that involve no violence and no risk of escape. The alleged crime is a supposed violation of the principle of separation of religion and state.… The Minister continues: “Religious organizations are communities of faith intended for inner peace and spiritual comfort, not political groups seeking power.” This sentence reveals a conception of religion that confines believers to a spiritual sphere and denies them the right to participate in public life. Democracy is built on the idea that citizens, including those who belong to religious communities, may express opinions, join parties, and vote. The Minister’s statement is a direct challenge to this principle.The Minister writes: “Only when the state remains in the secular sphere and religion remains in the spiritual sphere can democracy and peace within the community be maintained.” Democracy is maintained when citizens are free to speak, vote, and participate. This includes religious citizens. The Minister’s post shows how political power may use the language of constitutional principles to silence religious communities. It shows how justice may be replaced by ideology. It shows how the boundary between state and religion may be invoked to justify repression.… The Minister’s use of Scripture in an official communication crosses the very line he claims to defend. He invokes religion while accusing others of mixing religion and politics. Massimo Introvigne, "Shincheonji and the Unification Church: South Korea’s Minister of Justice Promises “Strict Punishment” of “False Prophets”", Bitter Winter (July 2, 2026) External links Category:Politicians from South Korea Category:Living people Category:Lawyers from South Korea Category:Government ministers