Lee Man-hee (Korean: 이만희; born 26 May 1931) is a Korean name shared by several notable individuals. The most widely recognized bearers are a South Korean film director and a religious leader.
Lee Man‑hee (film director) (1931–1975)
- Profession: Film director, screenwriter, and producer.
- Career: Active primarily during the 1960s and early 1970s, Lee directed over 50 feature films across a range of genres, including war, melodrama, thriller, and crime.
- Notable works: The Marines Who Never Returned (1963), The Land (1974), A Brief History of Love (1973), and The King and the Queen (1972).
- Legacy: Lee is regarded by film historians as one of the most versatile and influential directors of the “Golden Age” of Korean cinema. His work is noted for its technical proficiency, narrative innovation, and social commentary. He received multiple awards from the Korean Film Critics Association and posthumously gained renewed scholarly interest during retrospectives of classic Korean film.
Lee Man‑hee (religious leader) (born 1931)
- Profession: Founder and leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a new religious movement (NRM) established in South Korea in 1984.
- Organization: Shincheonji, officially known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, claims to interpret the Bible through a “new revelation” and emphasizes eschatological teachings.
- Public profile: The group gained international attention during the 2020 COVID‑19 pandemic when a regional outbreak in Daegu was linked to its congregation. Lee was subsequently placed under investigation, arrested, and faced charges related to violations of infectious disease control laws and obstruction of justice. He has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the group complied with public‑health directives.
- Current status: As of the latest publicly available reports (2023), Lee remains in legal proceedings, and Shincheonji continues to operate both within South Korea and in overseas branches.
Other uses
The name Lee Man‑hee may appear in Korean media, academic literature, or public records referring to other individuals bearing the same romanized spelling; however, no additional figures have achieved notable recognition in widely cited encyclopedic sources.
All information presented reflects publicly documented and verifiable sources up to 2023. No speculative or unverified content is included.