Pastor Lee Young-hoon Demands Apology from Special Investigation Team Over Search Warrant

On July 25, Pastor Lee Young-hoon of the Yoido Full Gospel Church publicly called for an official apology from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) regarding their recent search of his home and church. He expressed that the search was unjustified. The SIT conducted the search on July 18 as part of an investigation into allegations of lobbying for Im Seong-geun, a former commander of the Marine Corps' 1st Division. Pastor Lee, who was a witness in the case, stated during an event at a hotel in Seoul that he has never met Im and does not have his phone number. He revealed that the SIT reviewed 35,000 text messages and KakaoTalk messages from his phone but found no evidence related to the allegations, leading to the return of his phone the previous day. He criticized the SIT for not providing any explanation and mentioned that he is considering legal action in consultation with his lawyer. Pastor Lee clarified that his only interaction with Im was a brief phone call facilitated by a military chaplain during a visit to the division in September 2022. He questioned the necessity of such an extensive search given his status as a witness. In response, the SIT maintained that the search warrant was executed lawfully and as required for the investigation.