Shincheonji · Political outreach

HWPL Political Connections: Who Took Part, and the Record

HWPL’s Political Connections: Who Took Part, and What the Record Shows

Short answer: HWPL, the peace group chaired by Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee, has documented ties to a former Romanian president, a Philippine city council, US county and city agendas and the King Center in Atlanta, but many other ties it advertises rest only on its own press releases. In South Korea, Shincheonji’s political activity is now a criminal case: Lee is on trial under the Political Parties Act, accused of enrolling at least 56,472 members in the People Power Party, which he denies.

HWPL, the peace organization chaired by Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee, has worked with mayors, councils, legislators, a former president and well-known institutions. This page sets out these HWPL political connections: what each one did and where the record for it comes from. Each claim is tagged: Verified, HWPL’s claim, Critics’ claim or Unconfirmed.

By Chris Vishoot25 min readSource notes

How to read the tags

Verified
A primary record (a government agenda or registry, an institution’s or official’s own channel, a court or prosecutor via a wire service) or independent reporting.
HWPL’s claim
Comes only from HWPL, Shincheonji, Cheonji Ilbo, Shincheonji-member blogs or HWPL press releases, including ones republished by outside sites. The tag means only that the claim exists.
Critics’ claim
Comes only from critics: Korean Protestant press, former-member or watchdog sites, opinion columns.
Unconfirmed
Unconfirmed, single-source, conflicting, or dated by inference.

Text after “·” says where the record comes from or what limits it.

On this page

How we describe officials. Named officials are described by what they did: attended, signed, proclaimed or posted. None of the sources below shows that any of them knew of Shincheonji’s link to HWPL, unless the text says so.

Irvine, California: Mayor Farrah Khan’s 2023 post

  • Verified · as quoted and linked by Irvine WatchdogOn Saturday 27 May 2023, Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan posted on her official City Facebook and Twitter (@MayorofIrvine) accounts: “I’m all in to support Chairman Man Hee Lee and Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light with their work of peace through the 10 Articles and 38 Clauses of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War. Today, I joined elected officials, religious leaders, and community leaders in celebrating the 10th Anniversary Ceremony of the DPCW and Peace Walk.” A second post read: “Feeling inspired, especially after this beautiful welcome.”
  • Critics’ claim · framingThe source is an opinion column by Doug Elliott, an attorney and Irvine resident who sat on Irvine’s Community Services Commission: “Opinion: Mayor ‘All In’ With Alleged Cult Project,” Irvine Watchdog, 9 Jun 2023 (opens in new tab). It links her Facebook reel (opens in new tab), tweet (opens in new tab) and YouTube short (opens in new tab). The “all in” headline phrase comes from the column.
  • Verified · as quoted by Irvine WatchdogThe column says her video showed her “entering a building tagged as California State University, Fullerton, to the cheers of onlookers.” The event was in Fullerton, not Irvine.
  • HWPL’s claimThe event was HWPL’s 10th annual commemoration of its peace declaration and Peace Walk (opens in new tab), which HWPL says ran at 89 locations in 59 countries in May 2023.
  • UnconfirmedThe tweet no longer resolves on X (checked 8 Oct 2026). We do not know whether it was deleted or the @MayorofIrvine account was reset when the next mayor took office.
  • Unconfirmed · not a full searchNo Irvine City Council proclamation, resolution, MOU, sister-city tie or award for HWPL, IPYG or IWPG appears in the council records we searched, including the 9 May 2023 proclamations (opens in new tab) and the April 2022 proclamations (opens in new tab). We did not search every Irvine agenda from 2013 to 2026.

We found no evidence that former mayors Christina Shea, Don Wagner, Steven Choi or Sukhee Kang, or current mayor Larry Agran, engaged with HWPL. We found no coverage of Khan’s post in the OC Register, Voice of OC, LAist or Irvine Weekly, and no evidence that she later distanced herself from HWPL. The column notes that in 2022 she did distance herself from a different controversial associate (opens in new tab). Khan was elected in Nov 2020 and served until Dec 2024 (opens in new tab).

Other Southern California officials named by HWPL:

Texas floods, July 2025

  • VerifiedAfter the 4 July 2025 Texas Hill Country flash floods, which WJLA said killed “more than 100” people, members of “Shincheonji USA” from California, New York and Georgia drove supplies to Texas. Fox San Antonio (16 Jul 2025) (opens in new tab) reported stops in Center Point and Comfort, items for search crews such as wire cutters and protective arm sleeves, and food donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.
  • VerifiedWJLA 7News (17 Jul 2025) (opens in new tab) said “The New Heaven New Earth Church in D.C. joined forces with fellow church members,” and credited its photos to “New Heaven New Earth Church and Shincheonji USA.” The church’s statement called the volunteers “peace messengers,” a phrase used by Shincheonji and HWPL.
  • Unconfirmed · figureWJLA’s sentence “Each volunteer hand-delivered more than $36,000 in food, hygiene and emergency gear directly to first responders and families in Kerr County” is unclear (per volunteer, or in total) and reads like church-supplied copy.

Both outlets named Shincheonji USA. Neither explained what Shincheonji is. The aid was branded as Shincheonji, not HWPL or IPYG. We found no praise from Texas officials, the Kerr County sheriff or a food bank, no controversy, and no Cheonji Ilbo coverage of Texas.

The Philippines

Our Mindanao article covers the 2014 Mindanao signing and the honours that followed. New items:

  • Verified · UP Law Center registerOn 1 Jul 2024, the Bacoor City Council (Cavite) issued City Resolution No. 2024-524 (opens in new tab), “A Resolution Supporting HWPL – Philippines Effort for the Recognition of the DPCW as an International Instrument of Peace.”
  • Verified · eventHWPL’s claim · copyOn 12 Aug 2023, the DepEd Schools Division Office of Cavite Province (Superintendent Dr. Rosemarie D. Torres) signed a MOA with HWPL (opens in new tab) to integrate “HWPL’s 12 Peace Education Lessons.” The local news report uses HWPL-supplied copy.
  • HWPL’s claim · search excerpt onlyA school in Siniloan, Laguna, is reported to have set up an HWPL peace monument (opens in new tab) in Feb 2022.
  • HWPL’s claim · paid releaseAn HWPL release on the Religion News Service paid press-release service (opens in new tab) says Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Cynthia Villar and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo “gave congratulatory messages” to HWPL’s 8th “Peace Day” (24 Jan 2022). The same release reports an HWPL peace monument in Dingras, Ilocos Norte, and says CHED Commissioner Ronald Adamat spoke of a request to declare 24 January “National Peace Day.” We found no such proclamation.
  • HWPL’s claimAn HWPL release of 14 Mar 2023 (opens in new tab) reports messages from Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Rep. Edwin Olivarez and National Amnesty Commission Commissioner Nasser Marohomsalic. It also lists Davao de Oro, Davao City, Kapalong, Cotabato City and the City of Manila as passing resolutions in favour of HWPL’s peace declaration. We have not checked those resolutions.
  • HWPL’s claimA Jan 2016 HWPL release (opens in new tab) says General Santos Mayor Ronnel Rivera and Rep. Manny Pacquiao were each named an “HWPL Publicity Ambassador,” and that an “HWPL National Committee on Peace in IBP” was launched in South Cotabato with 9 Integrated Bar of the Philippines governors and 84 chapter representatives also named ambassadors. The same release still calls HWPL “registered in the Department of Public Information of the United Nations (UN DPI).”
  • UnconfirmedThe same release lists Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno among the participants. Whether she attended or spoke is unclear.
  • HWPL’s claimBARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” B. Ebrahim spoke at HWPL’s 9th-anniversary summit in Incheon (opens in new tab) on 18 Sep 2023.
  • HWPL’s claimHWPL says Lee met former President Fidel V. Ramos on 29 Jan 2014 and “concluded a Peace Agreement” (opens in new tab) with him. Shincheonji media quote Ramos as saying Lee “did something I couldn’t do.” These come only from HWPL and Shincheonji sources, including a member blog (opens in new tab).

We found no resolution of the Philippine Senate or House in favour of HWPL or its peace declaration, and no national DepEd memorandum order. The DepEd ties we found are at the division level (Cavite, Cotabato City, Laguna).

Romania: Emil Constantinescu and Târgu Mureș

Emil Constantinescu was President of Romania from 1996 to 2000.

  • Verified · his own siteHis own biography (opens in new tab) lists him as a “member of the Heavenly Culture, World Peace Peace, Restoration of Light Advisory Council” (2014). The repeated “Peace” is in the original.
  • Verified · his own siteHis own list of speeches (opens in new tab) includes the WARP Summit in Seoul on 18 Sep 2014, and opening and closing speeches at a 1–2 Apr 2019 conference in Bucharest, “30 Years After the Fall of Communism – The Role of Cultural Diplomacy in Defusing Frozen Conflicts,” whose first session was held in the Romanian Senate.
  • Verified · his own siteUnconfirmed · HWPL link inferredThe same list includes speeches in Bucharest at “Solidarity of Empathy for peace” (19 May 2018) and “Youth, let’s voice out” (20 May 2018). These are probably the IWPG and IPYG parts of the HWPL Bucharest conference at which the Târgu Mureș MOU was signed.
  • Verified · the institute’s own siteIn Sep 2018 his Levant institute, ISACCL, “signed a collaborative protocol” (opens in new tab) with HWPL at its 4th-anniversary summit in Incheon.
  • HWPL’s claimA Cheonji Ilbo interview (24 Oct 2018) (opens in new tab) says he first met Lee “in Germany, at a reception hosted by the Institute and Academy of Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin.” Its photo caption shows Lee and Constantinescu “signing on a MOU” on 20 Sep 2018, and quotes him: “I believe the United Nations will indeed accept this Declaration.”
  • HWPL’s claimVerified · reportingHWPL says ISACCL hosted the 2019 conference “in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Romania, HWPL…” (opens in new tab). The Hungarian outlet Átlátszó (2022) (opens in new tab) reported that Bucharest “did not confirm” this.
  • HWPL’s claimHWPL quotes Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, then President of the Senate, at the 1 Apr 2019 Senate session: “Cultural diplomacy is smart power.”
  • HWPL’s claimHe received the HWPL Peace Award (one of 13) and spoke at the 9th-anniversary summit in Incheon in Sep 2023, according to an HWPL release (opens in new tab). HWPL also lists him as a speaker at the 10th anniversary in Sep 2024 (opens in new tab).
  • Unconfirmed · full list not fetchedHe is not among the named drafters of HWPL’s peace declaration (the DPCW) on its International Law Peace Committee, which HWPL now gives as “19 members” (opens in new tab). A claim that he drafted the DPCW is unsupported.

In Târgu Mureș:

  • VerifiedMayor Dorin Florea signed a “Cultural City of Peace” MOU with HWPL in Bucharest in May 2018, after the city council approved it on 26 Apr 2018. A city press release of 31 May 2018 called Târgu Mureș the “first city in Romania” to sign. HWPL named Florea an “Ambassador of Peace.”
  • Verified · as reproducedCritics’ claim · blog framingA city release reproduced on a local critic’s blog (7 Nov 2018) (opens in new tab) says Florea, Deputy Mayor Makkai Grigore, councillors Theodora Benedek, Magyari Előd and Claudiu Puiac and county-hospital managers met a South Korean delegation at city hall on 5 Nov 2018, after “the partnership protocol” with “the foundation from South Korea.” The release does not name HWPL. The blog also reproduces the MOU text, which allows termination by written notice.
  • Unconfirmed · one sourceThe MOU was reportedly cancelled after local political protests. Only Átlátszó (2022) (opens in new tab) reports this; we found no council decision or termination letter.

We found no sitting Romanian president, prime minister or minister signing anything with HWPL.

The King Center in Atlanta

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”), led by CEO Dr. Bernice A. King, has publicly worked with “HWPL Georgia,” HWPL’s branch in Norcross, Georgia.

We found no MOU between the King Center and HWPL, no HWPL award to any King family member, no King Center statement mentioning Shincheonji, and no involvement of Martin Luther King III or Isaac Newton Farris Jr. We found no sign that the King Center knew of the Shincheonji link, and no sign that it later distanced itself.

HWPL Georgia’s other government ties:

The Los Angeles mural

A wall mural in Downtown Los Angeles carries HWPL’s name and the slogan “WE ARE THE FUTURE OF PEACE,” and places a portrait of Lee Man-hee directly beside one of Martin Luther King Jr. It is an example of HWPL-branded messaging that presents Lee as a peacemaker in King’s company.

Wall mural on a brick building headed HWPL LOS ANGELES and WE ARE THE FUTURE OF PEACE, with painted portraits of Lee Man-hee with his hand on his heart and a dove beside him, Martin Luther King Jr. beside him, and two further portraits.
A mural headed “HWPL LOS ANGELES” and “WE ARE THE FUTURE OF PEACE”: Lee Man-hee (hand on heart, dove beside him), Martin Luther King Jr., and two portraits we have not identified. Artist tag: @HEXTGO. Downtown Los Angeles, in a parking lot near South Main Street and West 3rd Street (location from our team’s own observation). Date painted and commissioner not known. Photo supplied to Bible Vaccine Center.
  • Verified · photoThe wall is headed “HWPL LOS ANGELES” and “WE ARE THE FUTURE OF PEACE.” It shows Lee Man-hee with his hand on his heart and a dove painted beside him, then Martin Luther King Jr. directly beside him, then two further portraits that we have not identified.
  • Verified · the artist’s own profileThe artist tag on the wall reads “@HEXTGO.” The @hextgo profile on Threads (opens in new tab) is in the name of Hector “Hex” Rios.
  • Verified · Mural Conservancy of Los AngelesThe Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles (opens in new tab) lists Hector “Hex” Rios, born around 1970, as a Los Angeles muralist and documents several of his murals, including the Teena Marie mural in Venice (painted with another artist, Keo), the remnant of an environmental mural in the San Fernando Valley, and a set of Hollywood portraits.
  • We have found no evidence that Rios is a member of Shincheonji or HWPL. The words and portraits on the wall are HWPL-branded messaging, not a statement by the artist.
  • Verified · our team’s own observationThe mural is in Downtown Los Angeles, California, in a parking lot near the intersection of South Main Street and West 3rd Street. This location comes from our own team, not from a published source.
  • UnconfirmedWe don’t know the date it was painted or who commissioned it. We found no news coverage of it.

The mural puts Lee and King side by side under the words “WE ARE THE FUTURE OF PEACE.” It does not say who chose the portraits or why. It is the only HWPL-branded public image placing King beside Lee that we have found. We did not find a statue, monument or official graphic doing so on HWPL’s English site, Cheonji Ilbo, HWPL Georgia’s site or HWPL peace-monument pages, and we did not review HWPL Georgia or Shincheonji USA social media, HWPL video thumbnails or the King Center livestream.

  • Critics’ claim · our viewWe see the mural as HWPL promoting Lee as a peacemaker on a level with King. We have not found this image in HWPL’s or Shincheonji’s own materials or posts, so we cannot say whether or how they use it with their members.

Other HWPL and Shincheonji material presents Lee as a peace figure, sometimes in the company of King and other well-known peacemakers:

  • HWPL’s claimHWPL’s account of its Ebenezer Baptist Church event with the King Center (see above) says hosting it there was “a powerful symbol that connects the legacy of the American Civil Rights Movement with contemporary peace efforts.” This is association by venue and partner, not a direct comparison of Lee with King.
  • HWPL’s claim · member blogA 2015 Shincheonji-member blog post (opens in new tab), “Quote: Chairman Man Hee Lee and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” says “Both Mr. Lee and Dr. King agree that only solution towards darkness is light.”
  • HWPL’s claim · member blogA 2014 member blog post (opens in new tab) lists King among peace-prize figures, then says: “However, there is the man that has tried to achieve the World Peace by day and night. He is the peace advocate, chairman Manhee Lee.”
  • HWPL’s claimCheonji Ilbo (25 May 2022) (opens in new tab) quotes a Gandhi foundation figure calling Lee “the Korean Gandhi” (our translation) and lists Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher as earlier winners of the same prize. King is not named in it.
  • HWPL’s claimHWPL presents Lee as the chairman of a worldwide peace movement: its 2023 Peace Walk ran at 89 locations in 59 countries, and it describes UN adoption of its peace declaration (the DPCW) as a goal. Both are covered above and below.
  • Verified · Downtown Stockton Alliance pageBy contrast, the first US HWPL peace monument (opens in new tab) (Stockton, California, 5 Sep 2024) is described as a dove-and-globe design, with no King imagery mentioned.

The United Nations

We did not confirm any serving UN official at an HWPL event.

More on the UN. For HWPL’s and IWPG’s ECOSOC status, what “Taken Note” means, IPYG’s 2017 event at UN headquarters and HWPL’s 2026 statement to the UN crime commission, see our article HWPL, IWPG and IPYG at the United Nations.

Other US cities and counties

  • Verified · council agendaThe Carson, California, council agenda of 1 Jul 2014 (opens in new tab) lists “Consider Resolution No. 14-059 Supporting the Goals and Objectives of the Organization Titled, Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light (Mayor Pro Tem Santarina).” Its adoption is reported by HWPL; we did not fetch the minutes.
  • HWPL’s claimHWPL says Carson declared 25 May “HWPL Day.” The 2021 release (opens in new tab) gives its press contact as “Katrina Andrews, NHNE, Houston, TX.” NHNE is New Heaven New Earth, the name Shincheonji uses for its US churches. The same release says Alexandria, Virginia, has proclaimed 18 Sep a peace day since 2015.
  • HWPL’s claim · member blog, search excerpts only“HWPL Day” items for Hagerstown and College Park, Maryland (2018) and a certificate from Artesia, California are reported on a member blog (opens in new tab).
  • Verified · Downtown Stockton Alliance pageStockton City Manager Harry Black spoke at the unveiling of the first US HWPL peace monument (opens in new tab) on 5 Sep 2024. The page uses HWPL-credited photos.

We found no Congressional Record entry about HWPL.

Regional parliaments and the Pacific

  • HWPL’s claim · search excerpt onlyHWPL says it signed an MOU with the Pan-African Parliament on 9 Aug 2018 in Johannesburg (member blog (opens in new tab)).
  • HWPL’s claim · search excerpt onlyHWPL says the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) passed a resolution in favour of its peace declaration (opens in new tab) around 2017–18.
  • Verified · ABCAt HWPL’s Pacific Peace Summit in Sydney in Feb 2019, HWPL said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Rick Hou would proclaim backing for its declaration. Hou did not attend; Culture Minister Bartholomew Parapolo went in his place. PNG Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika and PNG Deputy Speaker Jeffrey Komal also attended. ABC (19 Feb 2019) (opens in new tab) reported: “what’s not mentioned in any of the promotional material is that HWPL’s chairman … is also the head of the controversial … Shincheonji Church.” Two journalists covering the event “were not aware of the connection beforehand.”

Korea

These are allegations at trial, not findings. Lee denies the charges. His first formal trial hearing was held on 21 Sep 2026, where his lawyers contested the whole indictment and the court asked for an assessment of his cognitive ability (Asia Business Daily (opens in new tab)). He was separately indicted on 24 Jul 2026 for alleged tax evasion of 7.57 billion won (Asia Business Daily (opens in new tab)). For every date and the next hearings, see where Lee Man-hee’s trial stands (October 2026).

  • Verified · YonhapAt his COVID-19 apology press conference on 2 Mar 2020, Lee wore a gold watch bearing former President Park Geun-hye’s signature. Former Blue House officials said only silver versions were made. Shincheonji said an elder gave it to him five years earlier (Yonhap (opens in new tab)).
  • Critics’ claim · deniedA former Shincheonji official claimed Lee named the Saenuri Party. Shincheonji denied it, and Yonhap reported the denial (opens in new tab) on 4 Mar 2020.

Institutions that stepped back or refused

We found no distancing by Farrah Khan, the King Center or Bernice King, Constantinescu, the Philippine senators and local governments, Carson or Fulton County.

What we could not confirm

  • Khan’s tweet no longer resolves on X, and the Irvine Watchdog column is opinion, although it links her posts.
  • The Irvine finding rests on spot-checked agendas, not a full search.
  • The King Center’s 2025 events rest on HWPL accounts. Only the 2026 posts come from the King Center itself.
  • Constantinescu’s current Advisory Council status, and whether he has any role on the International Law Peace Committee.
  • Most “national” Philippine items come only from HWPL press releases, some of them paid distribution or republished copy.
  • The Pan-African Parliament, PARLACEN, the five states HWPL lists for its declaration, and US “HWPL Day” cities other than Carson and Fulton County are HWPL-sourced. We have not checked them against each government’s own record.
  • We did not research ties to the African Union or the Organization of American States, the “Legislators’ Alliance,” Australian and New Zealand councils, or members of Congress other than Sánchez.

Sourcing noteWe have not yet asked Shincheonji for comment. Disclosure: Bible Vaccine Center and Closer Look Initiative are run by the same team.

Summary of findings

  • HWPL’s documented ties include a former Romanian president’s own biography (Advisory Council member, 2014), a Philippine city council resolution (Bacoor, 2024), US local agendas (Carson, 2014; Fulton County, 2025), and two 2026 events the King Center itself announced with HWPL Georgia.
  • Many other ties, such as messages from Philippine senators and “HWPL Day” items in US cities, are reported only by HWPL.
  • Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan’s 2023 posts survive through an opinion column that quotes and links them. No Irvine council action for HWPL was found.
  • HWPL has had ECOSOC special consultative status since 2017. Its peace declaration is not a UN document, and the UN states that it does not endorse such submissions.
  • Lee was arrested and indicted in 2026 under the Political Parties Act, and was separately indicted for alleged tax evasion. His trial opened on 21 Sep 2026; he denies the charges. These are allegations, not findings.
  • Some institutions stepped back or refused, including Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in 2014.

Frequently asked questions

Did Irvine’s city council take any action for HWPL?

No Irvine City Council proclamation, resolution, MOU, sister-city tie or award for HWPL, IPYG or IWPG appears in the council records we searched, including the 9 May 2023 proclamations and the April 2022 proclamations. We did not search every Irvine agenda from 2013 to 2026.

Does HWPL have status at the United Nations?

HWPL has had ECOSOC special consultative status since 2017, with its reports for 2017–2020 and 2021–2024 marked “Taken Note.” Its UN database profile carries the UN note that a profile “does not in and of itself connote any affiliation with the United Nations.”

Is the DPCW a UN document?

HWPL’s peace declaration (the DPCW) is not a UN document. HWPL describes UN adoption as a goal. The UN’s Summit of the Future inputs page lists HWPL’s input and states that “the United Nations does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or validity of any advice, opinion, statement…”

Has the King Center worked with HWPL?

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”), led by CEO Dr. Bernice A. King, has publicly worked with “HWPL Georgia,” HWPL’s branch in Norcross, Georgia. The King Center’s 2025 events rest on HWPL accounts. Only the 2026 posts come from the King Center itself. We found no sign that the King Center knew of the Shincheonji link, and no sign that it later distanced itself.

What is Lee Man-hee accused of in Korea?

Lee was arrested on 24 Jun 2026 and indicted under detention on 29 Jun 2026, with further charges on 13 Jul 2026, under the Political Parties Act. Prosecutors allege that at least 56,472 Shincheonji members joined the People Power Party between Jul 2021 and Jan 2024, under a “Pilates Project,” to influence the 2022 presidential and 2024 general-election primaries. These are allegations at trial, not findings, and Lee denies them. His trial opened on 21 Sep 2026 at the Seoul Central District Court; see where the trial stands.

Have any institutions stepped back from HWPL?

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (Berlin) withdrew as a co-host of the 2014 WARP Summit the day before it opened (Star Daily News, mirror; VICE Germany). Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs raised security objections in Feb 2019 when Shincheonji members tried to register a company named HWPL, because it believed HWPL “was going to be used as a front for SCJ.” It announced this on 28 Feb 2020.

Source notes
  1. Doug Elliott, “Opinion: Mayor ‘All In’ With Alleged Cult Project,” Irvine Watchdog, 9 Jun 2023 (opinion; quotes and links the mayor’s posts). https://irvinewatchdog.org/opinion/opinion-mayor-all-in-with-alleged-cult-project/ (opens in new tab)
  2. Mayor Farrah Khan, Facebook reel, 27 May 2023 (as linked by Irvine Watchdog). https://www.facebook.com/reel/670262131597773 (opens in new tab)
  3. @MayorofIrvine, post of 27 May 2023 (as linked by Irvine Watchdog; no longer resolves on X, checked 8 Oct 2026). https://twitter.com/MayorofIrvine/status/1662558013906092033 (opens in new tab)
  4. YouTube short of the 27 May 2023 event (as linked by Irvine Watchdog). https://youtube.com/shorts/EMlysWiWYtY (opens in new tab)
  5. HWPL, 10th annual commemoration and Peace Walk, 30 May 2023. https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/global-peace-movement-marks-a-decade-of-the-citizen-led-peacebuilding-efforts/ (opens in new tab)
  6. City of Irvine, proclamations, council meeting of 9 May 2023. https://irvine.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?event_id=2227&meta_id=141529&view_id= (opens in new tab)
  7. City of Irvine, proclamations, April 2022. https://irvine.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?event_id=1979&meta_id=127362&view_id= (opens in new tab)
  8. Voice of OC, Irvine mayor and the Armenian community, March 2022. https://voiceofoc.org/2022/03/irvine-mayor-under-fire-from-armenian-community-over-association-with-genocide-denier/ (opens in new tab)
  9. Wikipedia, “Mayoral elections in Irvine, California.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayoral_elections_in_Irvine,_California (opens in new tab)
  10. HWPL press release (PRWeb), La Mirada event, 9 Mar 2019. https://www.prweb.com/releases/Peace_Letters_Sent_to_193_Countries_During_HWPL_s_3rd_Annual_Commemoration_of_the_Declaration_of_Peace_and_Cessation_of_War/prweb16179052.htm (opens in new tab)
  11. HWPL press release (PR Newswire), Anaheim, 20 Sep 2018. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/south-korea-hwpl-peace-summit-ignites-international-support-for-peace-law-campaign-300716294.html (opens in new tab)
  12. OC Register, “Crystal Cathedral members angered by religious leader’s event,” 19 Jul 2012. https://www.ocregister.com/2012/07/19/crystal-cathedral-members-angered-by-religious-leaders-event/ (opens in new tab)
  13. Tawny Davis, Fox San Antonio / News4 San Antonio, 16 Jul 2025. https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/volunteers-from-across-the-country-deliver-relief-supplies-to-texas-flood-victims-essential-items-recovery-disaster-rebuilding-efforts (opens in new tab)
  14. Jessica James, WJLA 7News (Washington DC), 17 Jul 2025. https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-church-volunteers-help-deliver-aid-to-texas-flood-survivors-first-responders-support-communities-critical-supplies-food-hygiene-emergency-gear-kerr-county-hard-hit-faith-bible-jesus-new-heaven-church (opens in new tab)
  15. UP Law Center, National Administrative Register: Bacoor City Resolution No. 2024-524 (issued 1 Jul 2024). https://naro.law.upd.edu.ph/issuances/7571 (opens in new tab)
  16. UNLI News, DepEd SDO Cavite and HWPL MOA, Aug 2023 (HWPL-supplied copy). https://www.unlinews.org/3562/international-peace-organization-and-deped-sdo-cavite-signs-partnership-for-peace-education/ (opens in new tab)
  17. The Post (Philippines), Siniloan school HWPL peace monument, Feb 2022 (search excerpt only). https://thepost.net.ph/news/nation/sinhs-establishes-first-hwpl-peace-monument/ (opens in new tab)
  18. HWPL release on the Religion News Service paid press-release service, 31 Jan 2022. https://religionnews.com/2022/01/31/civilian-led-peace-building-both-catholic-and-islamic-communities-through-hwpl-call-for-global-peace-law-on-annual-peace-day/ (opens in new tab)
  19. HWPL press release (Voice of the South), 7th DPCW anniversary, Mar 2023. https://www.voiceofthesouth.org/post/int-l-peace-organization-to-un-legalize-peace-document (opens in new tab)
  20. HWPL press release (Scoop), Philippines peace tour, Feb 2016. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1602/S00003/hwpl-peace-delegations-peace-tour-in-philippines.htm (opens in new tab)
  21. HWPL press release (Scoop), 9th-anniversary summit, Sep 2023. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2309/S00178/thousands-of-global-leaders-gathered-in-south-korea-for-building-institutional-peace.htm (opens in new tab)
  22. The Summit Express, Feb 2014 (HWPL-sourced copy). https://www.thesummitexpress.com/2014/02/korean-activist-leads-peace-movement-in-mindanao.html (opens in new tab)
  23. Peacebreeze (Shincheonji-member blog), Mar 2021, reproducing Cheonji Ilbo. http://www.peacebreeze.net/2021/03/hwpl-mindanao-civil-peace-agreement.html (opens in new tab)
  24. Emil Constantinescu, official biography. https://constantinescu.ro/en/biografie.htm (opens in new tab)
  25. Emil Constantinescu, official list of speeches. https://constantinescu.ro/discursuri.htm (opens in new tab)
  26. ISACCL (Levant institute), Levant Initiative for Global Peace, Sep 2018. https://institutlevant.ro/en/cultural-diplomacy-in-levant/the-levant-initiative-for-global-peace-presented-at-the-world-alliance-of-religions-peace-summit/ (opens in new tab)
  27. Cheonji Ilbo (SCJ-aligned), Constantinescu interview, 24 Oct 2018. https://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=565853 (opens in new tab)
  28. HWPL, Bucharest conference, Apr 2019. https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/hwpl-conducts-peaceful-cultural-diplomacy-with-eastern-european-leaders/ (opens in new tab)
  29. Átlátszó, 1 Mar 2022. https://english.atlatszo.hu/2022/03/01/virus-sceptic-korean-doomsday-cult-aims-to-expand-in-hungary/ (opens in new tab)
  30. HWPL, 10th anniversary of the 18 September summit, Sep 2024. https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/10th-anniversary-of-the-september-18th-hwpl-world-peace-summit/ (opens in new tab)
  31. HWPL, About HWPL. https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/about-hwpl-_en/ (opens in new tab)
  32. Florentin Deac (local critic’s blog), 7 Nov 2018, reproducing a Târgu Mureș city release and the MOU text. https://florentindeac.blogspot.com/2018/11/afaceri-cica-de-viitor-dupa-excursia.html (opens in new tab)
  33. The King Center, LinkedIn post, 11 May 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-king-center-for-nonviolent-social-change_thekingcenter-nonviolence-faith-activity-7459686324271357952-k9zA (opens in new tab)
  34. The King Center, LinkedIn post, 16 May 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7461490860178731008 (opens in new tab)
  35. The King Center, LinkedIn post, 20 Sep 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-king-center-for-nonviolent-social-change_unityindiversity-bcie-thekingcenter-activity-7507468877350719488-1Amw (opens in new tab)
  36. The King Center, Beloved Community International Expo page. https://thekingcenter.org/what-we-do/beloved-community-international-expo/ (opens in new tab)
  37. HWPL, “Unity in Diversity” at the King Center, 9 Nov 2025. https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/unity-in-diversity-a-multicultural-dialogue-for-peace-and-hwpl-religious-peace-academy/ (opens in new tab)
  38. Cheonji Ilbo (SCJ-aligned), HWPL Georgia and the King Center, 1 Oct 2025. https://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3323972 (opens in new tab)
  39. HWPL, interfaith gathering at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 7 Jan 2026. https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/a-landmark-interfaith-peace-gathering-in-atlanta-usa/ (opens in new tab)
  40. r/Shincheonji, livestream post, May 2026 (title and search excerpt only). https://www.reddit.com/r/Shincheonji/comments/1tdmdrp/this_saturday_please_join_the_king_center/ (opens in new tab)
  41. r/Shincheonji, follow-up post, May 2026 (title and search excerpt only). https://www.reddit.com/r/Shincheonji/comments/1tey626/thank_you_everyone_please_keep_speaking_up_about/ (opens in new tab)
  42. Kyunghyang Shinmun, Bernice King’s 2019 Korea visit. https://www.khan.co.kr/article/201902192042015 (opens in new tab)
  43. HWPL, HWPL Georgia “Peace Day at the Capitol,” Feb 2025 (search excerpt only). https://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/hwpl-georgia-branch-hosts-second-annual-peace-day-at-the-capital/ (opens in new tab)
  44. HWPL Georgia, legislation page. https://hwplgeorgia.org/about/legislation/ (opens in new tab)
  45. Fulton County Board of Commissioners, agenda of 3 Sep 2025. https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/-/media/Departments/Clerk-to-the-Commission/BOC-Agenda/2025-agendas/September-3-2025-Agenda.pdf (opens in new tab)
  46. Threads, @hextgo profile (“HECTOR HEX RIOS”), checked 8 Oct 2026. https://www.threads.com/@hextgo (opens in new tab)
  47. Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, artist page: Hector Rios. https://www.themcla.org/artist/hector-rios (opens in new tab)
  48. Pieces of Peace (Shincheonji-member blog), 30 May 2015. http://pi-piecesofpeace.blogspot.com/2015/05/quote-chairman-man-hee-lee-and-dr.html (opens in new tab)
  49. We Hope World Peace (member blog), 6 Apr 2014. http://wehopeworldpeace.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-nobel-peace-prize-of-this-era.html (opens in new tab)
  50. Cheonji Ilbo (SCJ-aligned), 25 May 2022. https://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=984726 (opens in new tab)
  51. Downtown Stockton Alliance, peace monument unveiling, Sep 2024. https://www.downtownstockton.org/community-gathers-for-peace-monument-unveiling-in-downtown-stockton/ (opens in new tab)
  52. UN iCSO, HWPL consultative status summary. https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/consultativeStatusSummary.do?profileCode=641370 (opens in new tab)
  53. UN iCSO, HWPL profile. https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/showProfileDetail.do?method=showProfileDetails&profileCode=641370 (opens in new tab)
  54. United Nations, Summit of the Future inputs page. https://www.un.org/sw/node/214042 (opens in new tab)
  55. HWPL input to the Pact for the Future zero draft (UN-hosted PDF). https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sof-heavenly-culture-hwpl-input-zero-draft-pact-for-future.pdf (opens in new tab)
  56. HWPL press release (Scoop), New York event, Sep 2015. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1509/S00094/stopping-global-devastation-message-of-peace-to-the-un.htm (opens in new tab)
  57. Hyundae Jonggyo, 2015. http://www.hdjongkyo.co.kr/m/content/view.html?category=1001&no=14672&section=22 (opens in new tab)
  58. OPCW, HWPL NGO statement, 2023. https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023/05/4.pdf (opens in new tab)
  59. City of Carson, council agenda of 1 Jul 2014. https://ci.carson.ca.us/MeetingAgendas/AgendaPacket/MG59936/Agenda.htm (opens in new tab)
  60. HWPL press release (24-7 Press Release), 2021. https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/483812/two-american-cities-declare-hwpl-day-in-an-effort-to-support-international-peace-activities (opens in new tab)
  61. Peacebreeze (member blog), Feb 2022 (search excerpt only). http://www.peacebreeze.net/2022/02/hwpl-declaration-of-hwpl-day-from-two.html (opens in new tab)
  62. Peacebreeze (member blog), May 2021 (search excerpt only). http://www.peacebreeze.net/2021/05/hwpl-memorandum-of-understanding-with.html (opens in new tab)
  63. Peacestep (member site), 9 Jan 2018 (search excerpt only). https://www.peacestep.com/2018/01/09/central-american-parliament-parlacen-supports-dpcw/ (opens in new tab)
  64. ABC Pacific Beat, 19 Feb 2019. https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/peacecult/10824048 (opens in new tab)
  65. Kyunghyang Shinmun (English), 24 Jun 2026. https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202606242326007 (opens in new tab)
  66. Yonhap, 29 Jun 2026. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260629010400320 (opens in new tab)
  67. Asia Business Daily, 13 Jul 2026. https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026071319593773702 (opens in new tab)
  68. Yonhap, 2 Mar 2020. https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200302169751005 (opens in new tab)
  69. Yonhap, 4 Mar 2020 (search excerpt only). https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200304091900005 (opens in new tab)
  70. Star Daily News (mirrored on Totalog), on the ICD withdrawal, 18 Sep 2014. https://totalog.net/1632 (opens in new tab)
  71. VICE Germany, investigation of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, 27 Oct 2023. https://www.vice.com/de/article/wie-ein-berliner-institut-praktikanten-ausnutzt/ (opens in new tab)
  72. Donga Ilbo, on the injunction over the HWPL revocation, 29 May 2020. https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20200529/101271347/1 (opens in new tab)
  73. Seoul High Court, judgment of 1 Nov 2022, case 2021누59351 (HWPL v. Mayor of Seoul; first instance Seoul Administrative Court 2020구합63221, 3 Sep 2021; final), via LBOX. https://lbox.kr/case/%EC%84%9C%EC%9A%B8%EA%B3%A0%EB%93%B1%EB%B2%95%EC%9B%90/2021%EB%88%8459351 (opens in new tab)
  74. Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs, 28 Feb 2020. https://www.mha.gov.sg/media-room/newsroom/investigations-into-shincheonji-church-of-jesus-the-temple-of-the-tabernacle-of-the-testimony-in-singapore/ (opens in new tab)
  75. Wiener Zeitung, Feb 2026. https://www.wienerzeitung.at/a/hinter-dieser-oesterreichischen-ngo-versteckt-sich-eine-endzeitbewegung (opens in new tab)
  76. Târgu Mureș city hall, press release, 31 May 2018 (cited in our research; no online copy linked).

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