Persecution · November 14, 2026
Also published in Português (Brasil)
Court Increases Sentence for Segyero Church Pastor Over Illegal Election Campaigning
A pastor of Segyero Church received a heavier sentence in an appeals court, being sentenced to one year in prison with a three year stay of execution.
The Busan High Court Criminal Division 2 determined that the first instance sentence was too light because the pastor consistently offered excuses that were difficult to accept, insisted only on the legitimacy of his actions, and showed a high risk of recidivism. The pastor stated in court that he intends to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The pastor was previously sentenced in the first instance to six months in prison with a one year stay of execution for violating the Public Official Election Act and the Local Education Autonomy Act. He was accused of illegal election campaigning, which included inviting candidate Jung Seung Yoon to the church for a conversation during the March 2025 Busan Superintendent of Education election. He also criticized candidate Lee Jae Myung and supported candidate Kim Moon Soo during services and prayer meetings during a presidential election period.
The court rejected most of the pastor's appeals, including a request for a constitutional review claiming the Public Official Election Act violated freedom of religion and expression. The court ruled that while internal faith is absolute, external expressions are subject to limitation. It stated that even if the form of the activity is a sermon or prayer, it is subject to the Public Official Election Act if the substance is election campaigning. The court described the claim that such activities are merely religious activities as self serving.
Regarding the March 2025 events, the court found that encouraging voters to support Jung Seung Yoon after highlighting how the candidate's position aligned with the church's was clearly election campaigning. The court also cited a speech at a campaign launch service where the pastor told attendees to vote for a right wing single candidate and not for Kim Seok Jun.
For the presidential election period in May and June 2025, the court identified several instances of illegal campaigning. These included remarks from the pulpit stating that Lee Jae Myung was finished and that the Democratic Party would disintegrate, as well as warnings that the public must not fall under the rule of Lee Jae Myung. The court also ruled that playing a video supporting candidate Kim Moon Soo on a large screen during a service constituted election campaigning.
The court noted the principle of separation of church and state under Article 20, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, stating that religion and politics should respect each other's roles and not interfere. It expressed concern that increasing public support or opposition by religious leaders leads to overheated elections and social division. The court also noted the pastor's prior record of a 800,000 won fine for a similar violation of the Public Official Election Act in 2023.