On the afternoon of 30th September, Venerable Myeongbeop, abbot of Seokbulsa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, held a one-person protest outside the Seoul District Court, calling for medical bail for 95-year-old Chairman ManHee Lee, a recipient of national merit recognition.

Venerable Myeongbeop explained his reasons for participating, saying, “I learned through the media that a 95-year-old religious leader was being detained and investigated.” He added, “Given that there appears to be no risk of flight or evidence destruction, I joined the protest in the hope that bail would be granted to protect his life.”

The monk also shared his views on society’s attitudes towards religion, emphasising that people should not be judged negatively simply because they belong to a particular religious group. Addressing the controversy surrounding Shincheonji, he stressed the importance of respecting religious freedom and individual convictions.

“There is freedom of religion, and everyone should be able to believe according to their own convictions,” he said. “I believe no one should face discrimination on the grounds of religion.”

Venerable Myeongbeop further emphasised the need to consider the age and health of elderly defendants when making decisions about detention and trial proceedings.

“If detention appears inappropriate given the legal limits and circumstances, I believe the investigation should proceed with immediate consideration of bail and home confinement,” he said. “Since home confinement itself imposes significant restrictions, I believe it can also serve the purpose of restricting a person's movements.”

He reiterated that the law must be applied consistently and fairly, noting that particular care is needed when deciding whether elderly individuals with serious physical limitations must remain in prison.

“If there is no risk of flight or evidence destruction, alternatives such as hospital treatment or home confinement are available,” he said. “Is it truly necessary to keep a physically incapacitated elderly person in prison?”

He also appealed to the court to avoid measures that could be perceived as excessive or oppressive. “I believe we should not create the impression of oppression through excessive detention,” he said. “I sincerely hope the court will grant medical bail, taking the elderly defendant’s life and health into consideration.”