Relationship between Shincheonji and HWPL? - PD Note
Here's a reportage of PD Note about HWPL propaganda and how HWPL gets support from personalities around the world (Korean)
Script
(Anchor)
Teacher, Chairman, the Advocate. Lee Man-hee has been called in many ways.
One thing is clear: every single word he says is absolute to the Sincheonji believers.
Chairman Lee Man-hee has started to look overseas in 2012.
Since then, the word Sincheonji has disappeared and an unfamiliar group has taken its place.
It's HWPL. What is the identity of this group that sounds like a cryptogram?
(Source: HWPL)(Lee Man-hee/ Chairman of Shincheonji, HWPL Representative)
“Hello, World Peace Family.
I'm Lee Man-hee, the messenger of peace, representing the HWPL”
(Voice-over)
From some point on, Lee Man-hee has referred to himself as to "the Messenger of Peace" instead of "Shincheonji's Chairman."
In the promotional video, he looks like a peace envoy representing a country.
Seo Min-joon was in the International Department of Shincheonji, the department in charge of the Chairman's overseas activities.
(Seo Min-joon/Former member of the International Department of Shincheonji, Staff of Guri Cults Counseling Center)
“At first, Lee Man-hee was known as Shincheonji's chairman, but the people he met did not investigate what kind of organization Shincheonji was.
However, when they started to realize that Shincheonji is a cult and a bad organization, they began to avoid him.
He had to present himself to the public somehow, but that became hard being associated with Shincheonji. So the first group they made was called ‘Haneul Moonhwa Segye Gwangbok,’ HWPL in English.”
(Voice-over)
HWPL is an organization that combines the words 'Heavenly Culture', 'World Peace' and 'Restoration of Light'.
The Chairman Lee Man-hee started to be introduced abroad as the representative of HWPL.
(Seo Min-joon/ Former member of the International Department of Shincheonji, Staff of Guri Cults Counseling Center)
"People know the word Sincheonji, but because they have never heard about 'Ha Se-gwang', 'Heavenly Culture, World Peace, and restoration of Light', 'HWPL', 'Women's Group', 'Youth group', 'IWPG', 'IPYG', if they just say that they are part of a peace organization called HWPL, people just say ‘Oh, I see,’ and they just move on. It was purposedly designed for this.”
(Voice-over)
In the HWPL PR video, Representative Lee Man-hee is welcomed by people from every country and invited to large-scale events.
Lee Man-hee's status is shown as a well-known personality, treated as a state guest under the escort of the police .
(Seo Min-joon/ Former member of the International Department of Shincheonji, Staff of Guri Cults Counseling Center)
“One of the things Shincheonji believers don't know is that when he went to the Philippines, the police escorted him.
Watching that, one is amazed that he was treated like a state guest in the Philippines but the truth is when you go to the Philippines, you can pay and ask for a police escort service.”
(Voice-over)
Is this true?
There were really many posts on the Internet saying they had received the police escort in the Philippines.
It was a service available to the public.
(Philippines Travel Agency Office)
“Are those in the escort real police officers?”
“Yes. The price is for one police officer.”
(Voice-over)
CEO Lee Man-hee promotes that he has won various awards from organizations in different countries for his leading role in world peace.
He promised this will be the cornerstone of a constant dialogue in the future.
A monthly magazine even published an interview in which Lee Man-hee personally contributed to resolving a religious dispute.
He says he received the Gandhi Seba medal for his work.
The organization that awarded him was a private NGO called the Gandhi Global Family in India.
However, the group's vice president distanced himself from Lee Man-hee.
(Epis burma/GGF Assistant Representative)
“We have nothing to do (with Lee Man-hee.)
The principle was to sign an MOU with him and automatically become his follower around the world.
We knew in advance.”
(Voice-over)
There might be some problem with some of the awards Lee Man-hee received.
They are related to the revelations of a former official of Shincheonji's Foreign Affairs Department.
(Source: JonJon TV)
“This is a scene from the ICD Forum in Spain during the 12th ‘Shincheonji to the World, the World to Shincheonji’ tour.
This is the plaque he received at the time. This is a plaque of appreciation.
This is the final draft before the production of a Spanish company that manufactures certificates and plaques. The International Department took care of the model and design of the award he received that day.
I know for sure because I approved the first draft myself.”
(Voice-over)
Min-joon, who used to work in the International Department, made the same claim.
(Seo Min-joon/ Former member of the International Department of Shincheonji, Staff of Guri Cults Counseling Center)
“If Lee Man-hee thinks that it would be good to get an award from a person - a real outsider, not a member of Shincheonji, but of a different organization- then Shincheonji will make his own award by Lee Man-hee’s order.
It's not a big deal because they just take (the reward) and give it to him.
It's just to take a picture.
They pretend to give the award.”
(Former HWPL official)
“People in Sincheonji believe it's real. Since they really gave it to him, I guess one can truly buy any prize with money these days, right?”
(Voice-over)
Since 2014, HWPL holds a large-scale event every year in September.
It's the WARP Summit.
The highlight of the big event, which reminds us of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, is the appearance of Lee Man-hee.
Most of the participants are Shincheonji members.
(Lee Man-hee/Shincheonji Chairman, HWPL Representative)
“I said, ‘If you leave the leaders of the North and South Korea to me for one day, I will unify the two countries.’
A month or two after I said that, the North Korean leader came to South Korea and promised to cooperate to achieve a peaceful world.”
(Voice-over)
There are also foreigners participating at the WARP Summit.
Former and current presidents and ministers of foreign countries also participated, and for good reasons.
The event was attended by more than 100,000 HWPL members.
(Seo Min-joon/ Former member of the International Department of Shincheonji, Staff of Guri Cults Counseling Center)
"Rather than just inviting them, they ask, ‘Isn't it expensive to go back and forth to Korea? We'll support you.’ ‘Isn't it expensive to commute? We'll give you a ride.’ ‘You don't know anything about Korea? We will provide the translated protocol,’ like that. About anything.
So there is no reason why they shouldn't participate.”
(Voice-over)
They promise to cover all the expenses for their trip to Korea and give all kinds of support.
There are also suspicions that some people have more than just expenses coverage.
(Former HWPL Official)
“In the last stage of casting, they will reveal it.
They will certainly reveal it. Then the connection will come and go.
First of all, Shincheonji has a lot of money and manpower...”
Reporter: “Does ‘connection’ mean there is more than that cost?”
“Of course.”
(Voice-over)
A vast amount of internal data has been leaked from the James tribe of Sincheonji in Busan.
This is a trace of HWPL searching and contacting various people in Korea and abroad.
From former presidents to political, economic and religious figures, there are about 14,000 names in this file of just one tribe.
Shincheonji members in charge of each person meticulously recorded the contents of each interaction by date as well as the position and the approval rate of the person.
One person in contact with the PD Note said she is a member of Shincheonji.
(HWPL Personnel Management List Creator / Sincheonji Member)
“I don't work in Sincheonji. The religious group and the peace organizations are completely separate.
"But the chairman is the same person."
"The chairman is the same person, but Shincheonji is the religious organization of the chairman. HWPL is a peace organization.”
(Voice-over)
So are Sincheonji and HWPL really separate organizations?
(December 9, Shincheonji year 36, Chairman of Sincheonji)
“HWPL, Women's group, SMV, Cheonji Ilbo, International Department... They all exist for the completion of Shincheonji. The new world, in HWPM, HWPL is in Shincheonji."
(Voice-over)
In 2019, the Chairman Lee Man-hee, said that the HWPL exists to complete Shincheonji and it is inside Shincheonji.
HWPL also contacted the Congress members.
But the name of Shincheonji doesn't appear in the invitation document.
(Congress officer )
They send (HWPL event invitation documents) to the all the Congress offices.”
“Do they send it to every office?”
“Yes, they send it to all. We know what it is, so we always throw it away or ignore it.”
(Congress officer)
“We know that (it is Shincheonji), but they keep sent it. We know that our congressman shouldn’t go there. So we immediately threw it away when we got it.”
(Kim Jong-chul/Former General Manager of Sincheonji Liaison Department)
"If there is a parliamentary election, we can help. We can join forces. In Shincheonji, it is normal for two to three thousand people to come together if the Chairman Lee Man-hee says a single word or there are special directions.
If one says he can give some power to Sincheonji, they manage him."
(Voice-over)
It wasn't just the Congress members that HWPL tried to contact.
(Jeong Woon-hyung/Former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon)
"They brought a panel. At the top, in large letters, "To Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon."
They tried to meet with the former Prime Minister, Lee Nak-yeon.
When I talked to them, there was HWPL on the business card and they brought a photo book. There were pictures of Lee Man-hee's face on each page. And so I understood they were from Shincheonji."
(Voice-over)
Three months later, HWPL sent a text message acting as if they had an appointment with the prime minister.
(Jeong Woon-hyung/Former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon)
“But the prime minister didn't have any appointment. They lied to me, right?
I made this public as a warning to other high-ranking government officials about a particular religion trying to approach and take advantage of them.”
(Voice-over)
The president was no exception.
He used to have meetings with the citizens, instead of the official interviews.
The paper delivered so naturally clearly brings the emblem of HWPL.
(Yoon Jae-deok / Director of Eschatological Bureau)
"They make them write a letter and deliver it, there's no need for any real content. They just need a picture or a content (of that they met the person.) Then the congregation will applaud."
(Kwon Nam-Gwe, former Shincheonji Superintendent of Education, head of the Busan Seongshihwa Movement heresy counseling Headquarters)
“Shincheonji will say that Shincheonji is known for being a cultic group but politicians, personalities in the field of culture and religion, and journalists recognize us. So the believers feel more united. Because that means they're a recognized group.”
(Voice-over)
As a peace organization, the HWPL is working on a campaign.
(Source: HWPL Promotion DVD) (March 14, 2019. 4:00 PM, Jamsil Indoor Stadium)(Lee Man-hee/Shincheonji, Chairman of the General Assembly, HWPL)
“In order to achieve peace, the Article 10-38 of the DPCW (Declaration of Peace at the End of the Global War) is needed to end the war. I am thinking of putting it on the table at the UN and putting it to a vote. Then you should sign it, right?”
(Voice-over)
It is a petition campaign to introduce the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War, which was announced by Representative Lee Man-hee in 2016, as a UN resolution and establish it as an international law.
(Source: Cheonji TV, on screen)
[Declaration on the End of the Global War
Article 1: Threats and use of force Prohibition
Article 2: Power
Article 3: Friendly relationships maintenance and acts of aggression prohibition
Article 4: Border
Article 5: Self-determination
Article 6: Disputes settlement
Article 7: Self-defense
Article 8: Freedom of Religion
Article 9: Religion, ethnic identity and peace
Article 10: Propagation of Peace Culture]
(Byun Sang-wook/Special Professor at Kookmin University (CBS Reporter)
“They persuaded a law professor in Germany to make a cool treaty in English and German for the end of the global war and for peace, then they sent it here and there, and asked for congratulatory speeches or something like that, saying that they are an organization that strives for international peace.”
(Voice-over)
HWPL has promoted the declaration extensively.
But can the declaration be put forward as a U.N. resolution, as they claim, and further enacted into international law?
(Song Ki-ho/Lawyer)
“Since the Article 10-38 of the DPCW is already expressed in most of the existing international norms, it is unlikely that it will create a separate international standard.
So, for example, here in Section 1, the threat and use of force is already in the Charter of the United Nations. “
[Image on screen: (DPCW) Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of War, Threat of Armed Forces, Prohibition of Use of Armed Forces) (Article 2:4.4 of the United Nations Charter, All Member States refrain from using force or using force in any other way that is incompatible with the purposes of the United Nations for territorial preservation or political independence of other countries in their international relations.) ]
“Also, Article 8 'Freedom of Religion' is already included in the Declaration of the Human Rights.”
[Image on screen: (DPCW)Article 8 Religious Freedom (Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) (Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. These rights include freedom to change religion or belief, and freedom to express one's religion or belief through missionary work, events, worship, and rituals, both independently or in groups, publicly or privately.)]
(Voice-over)
But Lee Man-hee speaks with confidence.
(Lee Man-hee/Shincheonji's Chairman, HWPL Representative)
“The DPCW (Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War) of the HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, and restoration of Light) is a true food for the whole world, and will end the global war and achieve eternal peace, making it an eternal legacy for future generations.”
(Kim Min-ji (false name, former Shincheonji member)
“In Shincheonji, HWPL is almost more important than the UN, and it's working harder for peace. In fact, they keep saying it so people don't see anywhere else. It's just a way to promote internal unity.
But actually, who has heard about HWPL in Korea, at least once in a lifetime? But they made it by themselves and say it's amazing, and they cover their eyes and ears. It's so pitiful.”
(Voice-over)
Some argues that HWPL was the springboard for Shincheonji to go beyond Korea to overseas.
(Shin Hyun-wook/former head of Shincheonji Training Center, Director of Guri Cults Counseling Center)
“Of course, it acts as if it is separate from Shincheonji, but if one looks closely, it's a front organization of Shincheonji.
Sincheonji's ultimate goal is to be universal. It is to turn the whole world into Shincheonji.”
(Voice-over)
In response to the PD Note's request for an official interview, HWPL has sent a written response.
First of all, HWPL said the organization was established to realize world peace and that the international law is also being discussed with experts.
There are cases where they provide for the expenses of the overseas invitees, but they don't pay anything more than that.
The medals and appreciation plaques received by the representative Lee Man-hee were given on the organizations' own accord and there were cases when they have asked about the details of the plaques in advance.
The controversy over Sinchonji has emerged again in 2020. And the suspicions about the Chairman Lee Man-hee are not cleared yet.
