People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and lawmakers attend a service at Busan’s Saegero Church on September 14, following the arrest of Pastor Son Hyun-bo. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Busan’s Saegero Church, a central figure in South Korea’s far-right Christian movement, faces a bail review this week following his arrest earlier this month on charges of violating election laws.
While conservative leaders and evangelical groups denounce his detention as “religious persecution,” the sweeping mobilizations that once marked Son’s “Save Korea” rallies have yet to reappear.
Instead, his allies appear to be cultivating trans-Pacific connections with American MAGA-aligned figures. Son’s youngest son recently joined a video broadcast with Pastor Rob McCoy, mentor to slain U.S. activist Charlie Kirk, who referred to Son as “my friend” and claimed Kirk had vowed to seek help from the U.S. Secretary of State if Son were arrested.
Son’s eldest son, a conservative activist and academic, confirmed ongoing discussions with McCoy and hinted at joint initiatives between Korean and American evangelical groups in October.
Son was detained on September 9 after prosecutors charged that he invited candidates to his church and urged congregants to support them, in violation of Korean election law.
MAGA Kids (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Korean Far-Right Pastor Faces Court While Conservatives Clash Over His Arrest
He had previously gained notoriety during the pandemic for defying restrictions on worship services, later organizing mass rallies defending former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of emergency rule and opposing his impeachment.
The controversy has spilled into mainstream politics. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the opposition People Power Party, drew criticism after linking Son’s arrest to a tribute to Kirk, saying freedoms of religion and expression were under attack in South Korea.
Critics argue Jang’s reliance on far-right YouTubers and conspiracy theorists helped secure his leadership post, and his remarks underscore an uneasy alignment between Korea’s hard right and its U.S. counterparts.
Senior People Power Party officials have attended services at Saegero Church since Son’s arrest, though the party leadership appears wary of being too closely tied to extremist rhetoric. Recent party guidelines for rallies cautioned against displaying flags or slogans such as “Yoon Again” or “Stop the Steal.”
For now, Saegero Church leaders say they are focused on prayer and preparing for trial. But the movement surrounding Son is shifting its gaze outward, raising the prospect that the battle over his case could become a new bridge between Korea’s embattled far right and America’s MAGA movement.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
