I was a close bodyguard of Lee Man-hee, the Chairman of Shincheonji, and I recently left the organization.

Hello. I used to be a bodyguard for Lee Man-hee, the leader of Shincheonji. I recently left the organization.

I first started attending Shincheonji services in elementary school, around 5th grade, following my mother. Although I resisted a few times, her strong persuasion led me to gradually accept Shincheonji as my natural faith.

Over time, I took on various roles within the organization—youth group leader, team leader, general manager, and evangelist. These experiences gave me deep insight into the structure and operations of Shincheonji.

After years of involvement, in 2023, I earned the trust of key figures and was appointed to the “Seven Lions,” the elite security team assigned to protect Lee Man-hee himself.

The “Seven Lions” was a secretive elite security team that wasn’t disclosed to the public at the time. Their role went far beyond simple protection—they accompanied Lee Man-hee in his private, day-to-day schedule and stayed by his side at all times.

This position was never open to public recruitment. Members were handpicked through a strict internal selection process involving multiple tests and vetting stages. Even within Shincheonji, only a handful of people had access to this level of proximity—these were, quite literally, “his shadow.”

While there are hundreds of regular security personnel assigned to protect the Chairman, only these seven were allowed to stay at his side from the moment he stepped out of his car until he entered an event venue. They also accompanied him during private, undisclosed activities. Because of this, absolute loyalty, deep internal trust, and strict confidentiality were required to be appointed to this position

Recently, as a member of the Seven Lions, I reported three major incidents I personally experienced to the media.

While some of these stories were covered in the news, many details were left out. I am sharing a more detailed account here.

1. Controversy over the “80-hour Court Ordered Compliance Training” Preferential treatment

Around September 2023, the Seven Lions were ordered to gather at a compliance training center located in Namyangju. At first, we only received the address and didn’t know what kind of place it was. Upon arrival, we learned that Chairman Lee Man-hee was required to complete 80 hours of compliance training, and our task was to provide security for him during this period.

We carefully studied the building layout, assigned security personnel to each floor, and planned all movement routes through a thorough site inspection. Afterward, we accompanied the Chairman 1 to 2 times a month to provide security during the training sessions.

Shortly after Lee’s first training session, the Seven Lions received a strange order from the Shincheonji legal department. We were told to provide a motorized bed as the Chairman found the long sessions hard to endure. I personally purchased an electric bed costing about 600,000 KRW and brought it to the compliance center along with a custom bedding set provided by the church’s women’s department.

After the news reports surfaced, the Ministry Of Justice of South Korea claimed that while the bed was brought in, it was never unfolded or used. However, this contradicts my firsthand experience.

On the first day the bed was brought in, I personally carried it into the training room, set up the bedding, and adjusted the mattress angle to make the Chairman comfortable. The staff at the compliance center even guided me during the process.

The Chairman used the bed several times but eventually said it was more uncomfortable to lie down while listening and instructed us not to prepare it anymore. Since then, I stopped bringing the bed and only handled security duties.

2. Order from the General Manager to Assault an Internal Whistleblower

Around September 2023, all members of the Seven Lions were suddenly summoned to the Shincheonji General Manager’s office in the Ooo Tower, Indeokwon, Gyeonggi Province. We had no idea why we were called, but what we heard there shocked us.

The General Manager mentioned a former youth department leader who had been expelled for exposing the manager’s sexual misconduct.

“He is opposing the church. We can’t let him go. We have to stop him, by any means necessary. Is there anyone among you brave enough to do it?”

This was essentially an order to retaliate violently. Everyone understood the implication, but no one dared to object. Silence felt like consent.

A few days later, one of the Seven Lions, the youth general manager, contacted me privately. He asked me—through my foreign contacts—to find ways to follow or harm the former youth department leader, and to estimate the cost.

I was stunned. Though I didn’t show it, I started delaying the request as much as possible. Yet, he kept pressing me repeatedly. That’s when I began to look into the full story behind the incident.

Here’s what happened: The former youth department leader tried to expose the General Manager(Goh Dong-an)’s sexual misconduct, which led to his dismissal and expulsion from Shincheonji. The General Manager later reached settlements with the victims and used them to sue the former youth department leader for defamation.

Still unsatisfied, he called the Seven Lions to attempt a personal revenge mission.

What scared me personally wasn’t just the order itself, but the fact that no one questioned it—instead, they seemed ready to follow it. Inside Shincheonji, it was common to tail or monitor whistleblowers or ex-members, but orders to actually harm someone were rare.

In the end, I met the youth general manager privately and asked again,
“What crime did that person commit for us to go this far?”

He couldn’t give me a clear answer. At that moment, I realized how dangerously this organization was operating. I could only think that all this was done to gain the General Manager’s trust. I told them I no longer wanted to be involved and quietly asked to be dismissed.

But Shincheonji didn’t let me leave quietly. Instead, they contacted my mother, who is also a believer, and told her I had committed a serious offense. After that, my mother scolded me harshly, telling me to repent and not to ruin God’s kingdom.

After that incident, I clearly saw how the organization tries to justify unethical actions in the name of faith. I could no longer stay silent, and I felt that sharing this story with the world was the least I could do.

This statement is not meant to blame anyone, but to prevent further harm.

If there are still people inside Shincheonji, I earnestly ask you not to remain silent any longer. Complacent and irresponsible beliefs like, “Because it’s God’s work, we must endure everything,” or “God will ultimately take care of it,” have been the basis for countless wrongdoings inside Shincheonji.

But now, it’s time to break this cycle.

All lies, violence, and wrongdoing justified under the name of religion must be held accountable.

I hope many people will take interest and raise their voices to ensure Shincheonji no longer oppresses believers or destroys their lives. Silence in the face of truth is never faith.

Now is the time to stand before the truth.