(LEAD) Court issues arrest warrants for ex-Shincheonji officials over suspected ties to PPP

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, details with arrest warrant issuance)

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for three former senior officials of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, over suspicions they forced followers to join the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) between 2021 and 2024.

The hearings for Goh Dong-ahn, former No. 2 leader of Shincheonji, and two other former officials took place at the Seoul Central District Court earlier in the day after a joint prosecution and police team filed for their arrest warrants Friday.

The court granted the warrants following the hearing, citing concerns that the suspects could destroy evidence and flee.

The three are accused of violating the Political Parties Act that bans forcing people to join or quit political parties.

The former officials are suspected of forcing Shincheonji members to join the PPP to influence the results of the party's primaries held between 2021 and 2024 ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections at the time.

South Korea held a presidential election in 2022 and parliamentary elections in 2024. The joint investigation team believes that more than 50,000 Shincheonji followers joined the PPP as a result.

The team questioned Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee over suspicions of involvement in the scheme on June 4.

This undated file photo shows a sign for religious sect Shincheonji's headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul. (Yonhap)