Man behind 'In the Name of God' talks religion, ethics

Korea JoongAng Daily

May 2, 2023

It was two months ago that Netflix released "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal," stunning the nation by shedding new light on the country's notorious religious cults that have been around since the 1980s.

The aftermath created by the global streaming platform is still rippling through Korean society as viewers have realized through the docuseries that the victims of these cults are still very much in pain.

On March 23, the prosecution and the police raided the Jesus Morning Star (JMS) headquarters, located in Geumsan-gun in South Chungcheong, to investigate its leader Jeong Myeong-seok’s alleged sexual crimes. JMS is one of the most controversial cults featured in the series. The decision was made after complaints were filed by two foreign women and three Korean women, all of whom used to be followers of JMS.

Reignited by “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” will the war against cults lead to justice for those wronged?

Cho Sung-hyun, the main producer behind the hit series, recently sat down with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, and talked about the two-year production process of the docuseries, the real story behind interviews, faith and pseudo-religion and more.

Cho, with a sign of relief, said, “A day like today is most rewarding.”

The following are excerpts from the interview.

Q. Are you religious? If so, how have you maintained your faith even after the release of “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal”?

A. I am cautious to identify myself as a Christian. I was born a Christian and went to Handong Global University, a Christian university where the majority of its students are Christians. After the docuseries was released, I try to attend the Sunday service alone, quietly. My wife does not have a religion, and I plan to introduce the religion to my children when they reach a certain age where they can make their own choices. Religion to me is thinking about what people who know the preciousness of each life can do for others. I think this is the correct way of living a life as a faithful believer.

Do you feel the popularity and response from viewers regarding the series?

I think this will tell how much our docuseries has gained steam: My mother is not a Netflix subscriber, and I did not tell her what kind of documentary I was making because I thought she would worry. But my mother later sent me a text message telling me to "be careful," and that was a sign to me that this series was really becoming topical. A doctor at a hospital I always go to also recognized me after it was released. Above all, I do not feel bad when I hear the achievements of it being the first Korean documentary to top television series rankings or climbing to global rankings on Netflix at number five.


You must have been under a lot of stress during investigations for “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal.”

There has never been a more difficult coverage in the 15 years of my career as a producer. During production, I experienced blood in my urine and had to visit a hospital. The doctor couldn’t tell me the cause of it. One of my team members suffered from panic attacks, while another suffered a hemorrhage. Now that I look back on it, I think it was because we were exposed to such terrible stories for such a long time. Recently I have been suffering from insomnia with repeated dreams of cultists breaking down my door and beating my 2-year-old daughter.

How do you manage your mental health?

There is a counseling program arranged by Netflix. Until now, I did not consider it because I did not have the time or energy to do so, but I am trying to find a treatment plan such as visiting a hospital.


What was the most difficult part of the investigation?

Everything. Still, getting threatened or being tailed and having information leaks were bearable. The hardest thing was the sudden change of heart of the victims who had initially agreed to interview. It is safe to say that there was not a single person who was happy to appear on the program. A victim would promise to talk to us to appear on the docuseries, but on the day of the appointment, their phones would be turned off. This happened countless times.


Do you have a key to success for covering such issues?

Our docuseries has no narration. In other words, every word is a testimony. In order to compose such a huge story with the testimonies of the witnesses, a lot of people’s specific accounts are needed. To get those testimonies on camera, I had to travel across the country.



We can’t help but talk about the sensationalism and the way the victims are portrayed.

This documentary is not just about sexual assault. There are so many cases of violation of human dignity suffered by the victims that deserve attention, such as the child abuse suffered by Choi Nak-gwi and the labor exploitation of the victims of Baby Garden. From the standpoint of the producer, it’s disheartening that viewers are only paying attention to the sexual assault cases.


The recording of Jeong Myeong-seok’s voice in the first scene of the first episode is very shocking. What was your intention behind it?

There are many people who say that they quit watching after that first scene, because of that voice recording. However, there are also people — former followers of JMS — who said that they were able to completely withdraw from JMS because of that recording. So I do not regret including that in the beginning. There are even some outrageous comments saying that the voice recording of Jeong saying that he “ejaculated fifty times” was made up with artificial intelligence, or that he actually meant that he had had diarrhea fifty times. Defenders say that the scene in which a female follower wooes Jeong into a bathtub is a manipulated video that was filmed by hiring prostitutes. If you don’t show the facts as they are, religious fanatics will continue to build up ridiculously defensive logic. It was necessary to clearly show what had happened.



What do you think of the criticism that it is a director’s and producers’ ethical responsibility to consider the possibility that their content may be consumed out of context?

I respect and sympathize with that point and the discourse on sensationalism. However, I want to ask: What would be different if we did not show anything, like in the past, and simply said that the religious leader did something bad to the followers? Pseudo-religion is a topic that has been covered countless times by traditional broadcasters. Furthermore, one of the victims, Maple, even appeared on JTBC Newsroom in July last year. But nobody remembers that. The film “Spotlight” is often mentioned as a model example of re-enacting sexual assault. It is a good movie, but after watching it, will there be a reaction saying the perpetrators should be severely punished? I don't think so. How to show the behavior of organizations and people whose antisocial nature is at the core is the issue. I have been thinking about this countless times. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I had to show viewers what it would be like to actually be victimized. Otherwise, it would be difficult for anyone to figure out how serious it was.


Was the re-enactment necessary?

I understand that a lot of people would be uncomfortable. However, in the first place, this story deals with antisocial incidents. From the beginning, I had no intention of avoiding the damage by using euphemistic ways to show what happened or by sugarcoating the incidents. As a producer, I wanted the viewers to be able to properly see and feel what the victims went through. I thought that only by following the victims’ history and the feelings of misery felt by them would I be able to address the questions of ‘Are these people really Messiahs?’ and ‘How can our society stop such victims from appearing?’ As a result, I think that goal is gradually being achieved.




Did you negotiate with Netflix on the provocative scenes?

Netflix initially expressed concern about the introductory scene of the JMS episode. From the producer’s point of view, I pushed for it to be included. I insisted that it was a necessary scene even if we lost viewers because of it, and Netflix eventually accepted it. I think the advantage of streaming services is that people who want to see the content will see it, and those don't, won't. The upside is that the viewers who will see it should be able to see it properly. If the goal was for more people to watch the show, it would have been edited in a completely different form than what it is now. From the beginning until this moment, the main target audience was believers who follow JMS or Baby Garden. It was a more important goal for me to have even one or two people who stop believing in those cults due to our documentary.


What do you think is the reason that so many pseudo-religious leaders engage in sexual exploitation?

These people do not view their followers as humans, as sons and daughters and people dear to others. Followers are just tools. This is a story about the destruction of human dignity. Pseudo-religion makes people feel that basic happiness is a sin. The purpose is to separate men and women, dismantle the family, exploit labor and simply use followers for sex. What would happen if a follower tried to pursue basic happiness? It would not be allowed. Because that will not be living for the cult leader. If your religion makes it a sin for you to feel happy, then you should be suspicious.


Why do you think people fall for pseudo-religion or cults?

It has absolutely nothing to do with education, and it’s hard to generalize, but when a victim needs love, a pseudo-religious spreader mysteriously squeezes in and gives them a level of attention that they haven’t received before. Then they exploit them on a level that far exceeds what they had given.



What is a practical institutional device to prevent people from falling into cults and pseudo-religions?

I think the most serious is second-generational damage. People who are born and then find that a cult leader should be their god. They didn’t make any choice of their own, but they are unfortunately placed in that situation and have to go through an abnormal childhood. Choi Nak-gwi, who was killed by the Baby Garden cult, is the most tragic case of second-generation victimization. It would be difficult in reality, but I wonder if there should at least be a law against cradle religions. Religion has a huge impact on our lives, but no one tells you which religion to choose or which religion is dangerous. I think it’s time for our society to start teaching about religion, at least in schools. How to distinguish between cults and pseudo-religions, and how to prevent falling victim to them. Lastly, the weak punishment and social disregard for cult leaders are also issues that need to be addressed. Jeong Myeong-seok was sentenced to only 10 years of prison for his atrocities committed to women followers, but the American version of JMS, Warren Jeffs, was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 20 years in prison. I wonder why Korea has become a safe country for religious leaders who commit crimes, and I think we need to consider why our society is neglecting this issue.


Most people inherit their parents’ beliefs.

I was also born a Christian. This religion was handed down to me from birth by my parents. And my parents are very proud of that. However, after the documentary, I realized that it is not something to be proud of at all. Why do Muslims have to be Muslims from birth?


You seem to have a lot of faith in your religion.

I am very careful about what I say regarding my religion. I do not reveal that I am a Christian very often. It is not because I am ashamed, but because I can be attacked again when I reveal my religion. In particular, the JMS side tries to take the position of “why do you say that your faith is the only acceptable one,” so I tried to exclude the position of myself being religious.

BY BAE JUNG-WON [kjdculture@joongang.co.kr]



https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/02/entertainment/television/jms/20230502174355786.html

CultNEWS101 Articles: 3/11-12/2023 (Liana Shanti, Documentary, Jesus Morning Star, Larry Ray, Deprogramming, The Vineyard Church)

Liana Shanti, Documentary, Jesus Morning Star, Larry Ray, Deprogramming, The Vineyard Church

Daily Beast: The Mysterious 'Sisterhood' Tearing Families Apart

" ...'When we all first met her, she was basically running the health program,' said Julie, an early follower who did not want her real name used. "At the time, she was our friend. It's not like how now she charges $300 to be able to speak with her for 15 minutes."

Liana began by posting advice on her Facebook page called Rawganic Vegan. Some of her first posts were recipes for kale salad, "morning brain boost" juice, and raw vegan banana pudding parfait.

Over time, Liana started adding spiritual advice into the mix. "She was peppering in things about how our relationship with food was related to our mother. And, oh, we had an attachment to milk… maybe we should look at our relationship with our father," Julie said. "She did have a really large community of followers. But there was this core group of people who were asking the deeper questions, who wanted to know—not just about, 'How can I lose 10 pounds?'–but we wanted to know what did this mean about my relationship to my mom? And what can I do in a conversation with my mother in order to heal my relationship to binge-eating."

Responding to this interest in deeper healing, Liana started releasing spiritual courses in 2015. One of the first was "Mother Wounds Healing," followed by "Father Wounds Healing," and "Healing From the Pain of Narcissistic Relationships." The classes cost $495 each and consist of several hours of downloadable audio lessons. Each course begins with New Age-y meditation music before Liana launches into a stream-of-consciousness lecture, delivered with the confidence of a therapist and the tone of a hypnotist.

Former Lemurian Sisters told The Daily Beast that these recordings put them in a trance-like state and changed the way they viewed their family.

"It's like the minor things that happen, like a parent yells at you. That's not something that's very traumatic, but in Liana's eyes, she makes it to be something that's highly traumatic and something that you'd be so hurt over and so damaged by," said Amber, a former Lemurian Sister who asked that her real name not be used.

"She's planting the seed for you to isolate yourself from your family," Amber added. "I started hating my family."

Amber discovered Liana when she was suffering from post-partum health issues in 2015. She was having panic attacks and couldn't sleep. Her body seemed to be revolting against her, and she felt that doctors weren't taking her seriously. "One doctor told me that I was a hypochondriac," she said. "And, I said, I don't—I don't want to feel these ways. I'm feeling these things, and I don't—I can't accept that."

She went searching for answers online and found Liana's health programs. She connected with the other followers and found the validation and support she wasn't getting from health-care professionals. These new online friends encouraged Amber to dive deeper into Liana's teachings.

"I could tell off the bat that if you didn't get involved in the spiritual stuff, you were kind of looked down upon," Amber said."

Korea Herald: Investigative documentary series tell stories stranger than fiction

Netflix released its third Korean documentary series "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal," featuring four Korean religious cult leaders -- Jeong Myeong-seok of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star, Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang Church, Kim Ki-soon of Baby Garden and Lee Jae-rock of Manmin Central Church -- who all claim to be saviors of humanity.

The eight-part documentary series presents the religious cult groups' origins, how they rose to power and little-known stories about the four leaders, featuring interviews with those who left the cults. The series was produced by MBC with MBC producer Jo Sung-hyun.

Much airtime was given to JMS and its leader Jeong, who is currently awaiting trial for sexually assaulting female followers.

New Yorker: A Rare Exploration of the Deprogramming Process, in "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence"

"Though he was eager to impart life advice to his daughter's friends, he appeared to harbor little interest in establishing an official organization. Perhaps his thrall was all the more powerful for its intimate informality. After Talia's sophomore year, Ray moved into a one-bedroom apartment in a Manhattan high-rise with five students from Sarah Lawrence, including Talia and her then boyfriend, Santos, and a sixth, who would later join from Columbia University. In those close quarters, he deployed an arsenal of extreme control tactics: isolation, financial extortion, food and sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, physical and emotional abuse, and reality distortion.

The director of "Stolen Youth," Zachary Heinzerling, lucked out early in the production process when Ray, in an effort to clear his name, handed over audio clips that seemingly implicated him further. (Heinzerling also obtained video and audio files from Felicia Rosario, as well as evidence presented in court.) The more violent footage from the apartment is difficult to watch: Ray pinching Levin's tongue with a pair of heavy pliers and threatening to split it, for instance, or Santos's attempts to quiet an anguished Felicia by slapping his own face whenever she made a noise. But "Stolen Youth," which extends far beyond the events in the magazine feature that first exposed Ray, is a remarkable work, advancing the prestige true-crime genre's slow but steady reorientation toward centering survivors."

Julie Roys: Vineyard Pastor Resigns, Won't Cooperate With Probe Into Son's Alleged Misconduct

"Michael Gatlin, who for the past 25 years served as Lead Pastor of The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, has resigned, saying he cannot cooperate with an investigation into his son's alleged misconduct.

When the allegations surfaced last month, the church suspended Michael's son, former young adult pastor, Jackson Gatlin, and launched an independent investigation. The church has since terminated Jackson, who also refused to cooperate with the investigation, according to an update on the church's website.

Michael's wife, Brenda Gatlin, who served as super regional leader (SRL) for Vineyard USA, has resigned her position, as well, amid allegations both she and her husband knew of their son's misconduct, but did nothing.

In the update, the church acknowledged the new allegations, stating, "There are also allegations that Michael and Brenda Gatlin knew about this misconduct at the time and failed to act."

While the church updates did not disclose the nature of the allegations against Jackson, one woman claimed in a Facebook post that Jackson sexually assaulted her.

"I myself was assaulted by (Jackson Gatlin) as well," the post stated. "It was of a sexual nature. And the rest of the details will remain private."

Other women also took to social media in response to Jackson's suspension.

"I now know that the reason you called me 'little sis' was because of how affectionate you were with me in public," one woman wrote. "Clearly being an adult that was not okay. You passed as a teenager in your 20s so people often overlooked you.

"I sat and waited for anyone that I attended church with to speak up and no one did . . .Tonight I'm calling out anyone who knows anything, especially the leadership. If you were there you know, if YOU WERE THERE WE KNOW. SPEAK UP FOR THE VICTIMS."

The church said they are investigating whether Michael and his wife, Brenda, knew of the allegations when they occurred. One mother claims she told Brenda what Jackson "did" to her daughter:

"The pain and suffering my daughter has experienced in her life due to this man's actions are inexcusable. Honestly I am exhausted and tired of hearing about his poor parents and his poor wife. I'm exhausted from people caring more about the church and not about the victims.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

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Investigative documentary series tell stories stranger than fiction

Lee Si-jin
Korea Herald
March 6, 2023


While streaming services generally seek to entertain viewers with unique originals, Netflix and South Korea’s largest streaming service Wavve are sending shock waves across the country with their latest documentaries.

Netflix released its third Korean documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” featuring four Korean religious cult leaders -- Jeong Myeong-seok of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star, Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang Church, Kim Ki-soon of Baby Garden and Lee Jae-rock of Manmin Central Church -- who all claim to be saviors of humanity.

The eight-part documentary series presents the religious cult groups' origins, how they rose to power and little-known stories about the four leaders, featuring interviews with those who left the cults. The series was produced by MBC with MBC producer Jo Sung-hyun.

Much airtime was given to JMS and its leader Jeong, who is currently awaiting trial for sexually assaulting female followers.

Premiered on March 3, “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” instantly rose through the charts, topping the Korean Netflix chart and beating smash-hit drama series “Crash Course in Romance” and “The Glory” as of Monday.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok ordered that all efforts be made to hand out strict punishments for the crimes committed, according to local news reports.

Released from prison in 2018 after serving a 10-year prison term, Jeong was arrested once again for alleged sexual violence and crimes against two followers – a Hong Kong-born British citizen and another born in Australia -- in 2022.

The local pseudo religious group filed for an injunction to stop the release of the Netflix documentary series about Jeong, the request was denied by the Seoul Western District Court. In doing so, the court said the series does not seem to include false claims and is backed by a considerable amount of objective and subjective data.

"In the Name of God" also features the mass suicide of Odaeyang Church members in which a total of 32 people, including the cult leader Park Soon-ja, her family (except for her husband) and followers, were found dead in 1987.

The series continued with the Baby Garden incident in 1996 where a seven-year-old child was killed for his lack of faith, as well as the Manmin Central Church's terrorizing of MBC aimed at stopping the broadcaster from airing a TV show featuring their leader Lee Jae-rock in 1999.

Meanwhile, on March 3 local streaming service Wavve premiered “National Office of Investigation,” a documentary series helmed by star director Bae Jung-hun who was behind two hit SBS shows -- the investigative series “Unanswered Questions” and the talk show “While You Are Tempted."

The first three episodes presented the unknown sides of the National Office of Investigation -- one of the national police organizations in South Korea -- and its efforts to solve a murder case in Busan and a drug crime case in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

The series ranked third on Wavve's real time chart upon its premiere and contributed the most to the increase in the number of paid subscribers to the platform, quickly becoming its most-watched documentary series as of March 3, according to Wavve.

Two episodes of the 13-part documentary series will be released at 11 p.m. on Fridays.

“People say that the viewers don’t need to take variety shows or TV dramas too seriously because many of them are scripted. They say those shows are just for entertainment,” a 33-year-old office worker surnamed Kim, who works at a retail company in Incheon, told The Korea Herald.

“But investigative TV shows are proving that the stories featured in TV dramas are not to be taken lightly. This includes the recent revenge drama ‘The Glory,’ which talks about school violence, and ‘In the Name of God.’ I hope more content is made not only to entertain, but to send an important message that such tragedies should not be repeated again,” Kim added.


By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)



https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230306000682

The cult that's infiltrated NZ schools, campuses and churches

Former “Moonie” Jeong Myeong-seok was paroled
 from South Korea’s Daejeon prison in February
 this year, having served nine years for raping and
molesting his followers.

Rosel Labone

Noted

July 15, 2018

A religious sect based on the teachings of a South Korean “messiah” and convicted sex offender has quietly infiltrated university campuses, schools and mainstream churches in New Zealand. Rosel Labone investigates.

Mark* was in his second year of a psychology degree at Victoria University in Wellington when he met Crystal in 2007. She was vivacious and outgoing; the kind of person who seemed to know everyone. Crystal was class representative, and made herself available for study-related questions. So Mark plucked up the courage to say hello. They started corresponding by email. Crystal invited him to dinner, then asked him to join her Bible study group.

Two years later, Mark was deeply involved in a religious movement with its origins in Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. Reflecting on how he was drawn into the sect, he talks first about the friendships he made, the sense of camaraderie. And, as the first New Zealander evangelised, he had status in the group. When Mark was asked to move to Auckland to help recruit new members, he had to move from accommodation he shared with other sect members to stay with “secular relatives”.

“I woke up one Sunday morning at my relatives’ and just felt burnt out. I decided not to go to church that day. Then I skipped the next service. I think if I’d gone back to Wellington, I might still be involved because I’d have been surrounded by members and would have been indoctrinated every day,” he says.

“Looking back, I feel I was spiritually violated. I lost all trust in religion and I’ve never been able to go back to church – any church – since.”

Couples take part in a mass wedding ceremony in South Korea in February, 2013 – six months after the death of Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon. Providence church (also known as Jesus Morning Star) is an offshoot of Moon’s “messianic” movement that has surfaced in New Zealand. Led by Jeong Myeong-seok, its beliefs – among them, that sexual intercourse with the Messiah (Jeong) allegedly cleanses Original Sin – can be traced back to Moon.

Sam* was a professional athlete when his best friend died in a car accident. In 2009, he was looking for something to fill the void after losing a couple of years “cruising through life”. Like Mark, he was first invited to dinner by a woman. She then asked him to join her at a church service in Wellington’s Cuba St.

For both young men, these innocent-sounding gatherings were the start of recruitment into Providence – also known as Jesus Morning Star and Christian Gospel Mission – led by former “Moonie” Jeong Myeong-seok.

Providence was founded in 1978 by Korean-born Jeong, now 73, known by members as “Joshua”. South Korea remains its stronghold, where it claims to have more than 100,000 followers. It also boasts of having more than 10,000 followers worldwide, including small but growing memberships in both New Zealand and Australia.

In 1999, following an investigation by South Korea broadcaster SBS that included allegations of rape, Jeong fled the country. A string of accusations followed and rape charges were filed against him in 2001. Alleged victims in Japan claimed he would initiate contact with women under the guise of performing “health checks”, then sexually assault them. In Taiwan, former Providence members told police they were ordered to have sex with Jeong to “wipe away their sins”.

In May 2007, after eight years on the run, Jeong was arrested in Beijing by Chinese police. He was extradited to Korea and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of raping four female members of the sect. The sentence was extended on appeal to 10 years. Jeong was paroled from Daejeon prison on February 18 this year; he will be monitored via an electronic ankle bracelet for seven years.

Former “Moonie” Jeong Myeong-seok was paroled from South Korea’s Daejeon prison in February this year, having served nine years for raping and molesting his followers.

Sam became friends with Mark when they were living at the Nikau Church premises on Wellington’s Cuba St (Nikau was a front for Providence). They were both 19 when they met; both are of European descent. The young woman who introduced Sam to the church later became his wife. “One minute you’re in a Bible study group – 30 lessons later, you’re part of a church,” he says.

Providence members are expected to tithe 10% of their earnings. Full-time workers often give more as their “service to God”, says Sam. Mark adds that students are expected to spend a lot of time scouting for converts – evangelising at campuses and shopping malls, and infiltrating mainstream Christian church congregations. The sect also operates behind groups such as dance classes, sports groups and modelling agencies.

Mark’s rise through the ranks resulted in him travelling to Korea and Japan in late 2009, helping evangelise English speakers in those countries.

Mark had been raised in an open Brethren family. As he progressed in his Providence studies, the contrast between the Korean sect’s beliefs and those he’d grown up with began to widen. Providence’s teachings are based on the so-called 30 lessons, or 30 principles, which state that only a Messiah – Jeong – can lead people to heaven. Female believers are taught they are brides of God and by inference, brides of Jeong.

Providence’s entry-level doctrine was “deliberately vague”, says Mark, and it was only after a number of lessons that the group started exposing him to their core beliefs. “Ten to 15 Bible studies in, you learn how Jeong was persecuted and jailed. At that point your mentality is that this guy could do no wrong... You’re encouraged not to Google. You’re told everything online is posted by people who are against [the church]… You go on what they tell you as gospel.”

Mark says that Jeong’s personal backstory – poor, disowned by his family, wrongfully accused – was used to further the teaching and make him appear more Christ-like. “They’d say, ‘Look, Jesus brought the truth and they didn’t believe him: they beat him, put him in prison. Jeong went through what Jesus went through. Can you see this is the truth?’”

Sam was raised an Anglican. Leaving a mainstream Christian faith to follow Providence meant not only “worshipping” Jeong, but also adhering to strict guidelines around study and social behaviour. There were restrictions around dating within the church, he says. Sam and the woman he was attracted to were not allowed to be together because of the group’s belief in arranged marriage. “You can only get married within the group, and it has to be approved.”

Indeed, Sam was expected to devote every waking moment to Providence, which affected his relationship with his partner. “She was in the cult from the age of 16 to 20. She now feels the church took away her youth.” In mid-2011, the couple left Providence, but the marriage unravelled in early 2017. Sam blames the stress of emerging from the sect.

Mark says the church preached no sex before marriage. “There was a Christian girl I was seeing; nothing had happened but I would sneak out to meet her. I felt so guilty; I told them about it and had to fast for a few days.” His two-hour prayer sessions moved from a 5am start to 3am. “I had to meet special conditions to get forgiveness for spending time with this girl, because in my heart I’d sinned.”

Mark was also asked to give up playing rugby, which he loved. One day, he chose to play sport rather than attend a Providence activity. He was injured, and church leaders told him it was God’s judgment for his actions.

Sam says the group systematically took control of his daily routine: “I didn’t even realise it was happening. I’d wake up at five, phone into the morning prayer sessions... work all day as an automotive technician, have an hour to myself, before going to the gym for two hours, then to sleep. Wake up and repeat.”

At university, Mark says it was common to see Providence members in class struggling to stay awake. “It was all about your mental toughness, conquering your body. People were living on very little. Some started going a bit mental, not being themselves.”

Sleep deprivation is a classic indoctrination tool because of its power to impair critical thinking, says Australian-born man, who teaches English at a women’s university in Seoul and launched his cult-watch website JMSCult.com 13 years ago. “Providence members are pressured to get up earlier and earlier,” he told North & South.

Some parents report finding their children in trance-like states. One family interviewed by North & South said their child became psychotic due to sleep deprivation. Having been taught the phrase “Say no to food and sleep”, he went into psychosis and was twice admitted to a psychiatric ward.

Worldwide, Providence targets attractive young women, especially those already with a Christian faith. The strict dating and no sex before marriage rules don’t apply to the sect’s “spiritual brides” chosen to meet the prophet; the ultimate experience for female members is to be “purified” by having sex with Jeong.


 

A Providence modelling show at an American university in 2005.

Daley has seen sexually suggestive, Korean videos of near-naked cult members, and a video titled “cult education” where a Wellington-based member discloses her romantic love for Jeong. He says a Korean video about heaven and hell produced by the group portrays a “fascination with warped female sexuality. There are violent, graphic sexual images of what awaits women in hell [if they disobey the tenets of Providence]. In contrast, the trip to heaven is like a child’s vision... full of department stores, shoes, gold and diamonds.”

In 2013, Daley helped a female member of the Australian branch of the sect escape via an intervention. He says the experience was extremely stressful for him, the young woman and her family. “I was nervous. An intervention attempt, if unsuccessful, typically drives members deeper into the cult and further from family and friends outside the group. [Providence] usually moves members into group housing under the direction of a senior member. Once they’re in cult-controlled housing, opportunities to conduct interventions vanish.”

So far, no New Zealand members have come forward as victims of sexual abuse, but a number have travelled to Wolmyeong dong in South Korea – the cult’s base and Jeong’s birthplace. Daley says young people can be damaged by the group – with or without sexual abuse – and there are real threats of violence for some members who try to leave.

“Liz [a former member of Providence who spoke to Australian broadcasting network SBS] says she had suicidal thoughts over the stress of indoctrination and leaving. My own roommate, an Australian in Korea, suffered post-traumatic stress. She was told God would kill someone in her family if she left. I’ve had death threats and legal threats from American members: ‘You’re on a sure path to death...’ with a picture of a skull and crossbones next to a sentence, ‘This is what awaits [the critic]’”

Reverend Dr Carolyn Kelly works as a chaplain at the University of Auckland, where she says Providence was “recruiting under my nose”. She describes the sect’s modus operandi as “an entire faith fabric and intense friendships built on manipulation and misrepresentation of Christianity”.

Kelly became aware of Providence in 2014 after a young woman turned up at the university chapel, asking to borrow a guitar. “I got to know her a bit, and asked her about her faith. After hearing her speak about the ‘leader-pastor’ and visits to his birthplace in Korea, I remember saying to her, ‘That to me sounds like a cult.’

“In mid-2016, a student came to me and said she’d been involved in a strange Bible study via a bogus modelling school, and had noticed the same people active on the Auckland University campus. She confirmed [the young woman] was involved. I discovered she was running a ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ lunchtime group and was employed in a campus-related service, so I alerted the appropriate channels. The next time she came into the chapel, I spoke to her directly about my concerns. She didn’t deny her involvement.”

Kelly began following Providence through social media; she talked to ministers at local Presbyterian and other mainstream churches and discovered they were having a problem with Providence “recruiters” operating in their congregations.

She describes the Providence member she met as a “personable young woman” who was ostensibly studying at the university, “but I have no evidence she was studying seriously. I warned a couple of students off friendship with her. I found out later this intense friendship approach is called ‘love-bombing’. I also noticed a couple of the student women were dressing differently – behaving out of character when they were with her. The connection was with this modelling thing… I realised [Providence members] were particularly keen to befriend tall, beautiful young women.”

Kelly says the university followed up her concerns and the young woman was asked to leave. The university also issued a written warning to its student clubs saying the Providence/Morning Star/Nikau Church group used modelling schools as a front. Providence-run Kotuku Models operated in New Zealand for several years, but is now defunct. The modelling was mostly for shows put on by Providence on university campuses and other venues.

A former Providence member from Canada, Barbara, who recruited young women to be “models”, told North & South her task was “to find women who are beautiful on the outside and help them be beautiful on the inside as well”. However, she was actively discouraged from persuading less physically attractive women, including some with disabilities, to join the dance and modelling groups. She said chosen “models” from Providence’s international offshoots would visit Jeong in Korea.

Providence members have also infiltrated a Wellington high school and Victoria and Massey Universities, by presenting to assemblies and setting up dance, sports and modelling groups. In Auckland, the sect ran a dance group called Make Wings Dance for children as young as three. Social media associated with the group was used for recruitment, with special language for young members; it refers to teenagers as “shining stars” and younger children as “milky ways”. This language is consistent across Providence’s child-friendly front groups – and in their sermons – around the world. Daley says while young children are not usually being directly recruited, they are being introduced to the sect’s terminology and doctrines.

Massey University religious studies specialist Professor Peter Lineham says the “sexual element mixed with religion” is the aspect of Providence that particularly worries him. “It’s a dangerous combination. The potential for damage, especially in minors, is huge.” He notes the sect appears to be associated with sexual exploitation of vulnerable young women worldwide.

Fringe religious groups are fearful of the outside world, Lineham says, and know people will try to use the law or “strong-arm tactics” to get members out. He believes it’s highly likely Jeong was operating from behind bars – and poses a threat to the community now he’s released. He adds there may be a power struggle within the upper echelons of the sect. “Groups like this have power structures with tensions we don’t understand. I think it will be an important moment for [Providence], like Gloriavale’s Neville Cooper [Hopeful Christian] leaving prison.”Over the months of my investigation into Providence’s New Zealand activities, I put questions to the church leadership several times. Providence declined to answer specific questions about their operations in New Zealand, their recruiting methods and leader Jeong Myeong-seok.

I approached Taiwanese-born Nikau Church leader Crystal several times for answers. In response, she sent translated material from four Korean publications and websites, questioning the testimony of Jeong’s alleged victims and claiming evidence showed the women had not been sexually assaulted. I sent Crystal’s letter and references to Dr Ji-il Tark, a professor of theology at South Korea’s Busan Presbyterian University; he’s also an expert on Korean cults. He was not familiar with any of the publications, questioned the reliability of the sources and the English translations, and said, in his view, the magazines were “promotional advertising rather than reporting”.

Sometimes, those asking questions about Providence’s activities internationally have found themselves on the receiving end of threats. I got a sense of this when I received the following email from Providence. By then, Crystal had stopped communicating with me, and news of my investigation had reached head office:

Dear Rosel, Good morning. I am Andrew Choi who is now working at CGM HQ [Christian Gospel Mission, another name for Providence]. It came to our attention that you are writing an article about Providence, with plans to have it published by a New Zealand news outlet.
It has been our experience so far that the media is not interested in reporting on truths about Providence. News were [sic] produced with the agenda to ridicule and defame the organisation, by relying on unverifiable, sensationalist claims. Journalists deliberately chose to not investigate the accuracy of these claims...and turned a blind eye to the truth…

We are very concerned that the article you are writing falls into the same category. We strongly ask that you do not write such an article and submit it for publication. The list of claims you produced to Crystal in a set of questions are extremely unfair, distorted/untruthful and they misrepresent Providence... Where the reputation of Providence is unfairly damaged, we will pursue all necessary courses of action to ensure reparations for that damage, as we have done in the past against other major media companies and journalists. This case would be no exception.

We wish you all the best.

Today, Mark works for a government agency in Auckland. Sam is a successful businessman who splits his time between New Zealand and Russia. While neither received threats of violence after leaving the sect, they asked to remain anonymous for this interview as they fear the impact on their livelihoods if their identities are revealed.

“It’s not so much a fear of being attacked or threatened legally by these guys,” Sam says via email. “I have armed guards in my business in Russia and an in-house lawyer to deal with their nonsense if needed. It’s more that I don’t want to shake people’s confidence in my ability to make sound decisions.”

Both Sam and Mark “lost their faith” as a result of their Providence experience. Their trust in people was rattled. Mark says the year that followed his 2011 departure from Providence was “the hardest time of my life. When I joined, I thought I’d found the truth, 100%. I truly believed Jesus had returned through the Providence leader. I had extreme feelings of guilt when I left. I felt like Judas, Jesus’ betrayer. And Providence teaches that people who leave the church are going to hell.

“Evangelism in Providence is very much about ‘making friends’, making people feel loved, by cooking for them – they’re excellent cooks – or giving massages to newcomers, for instance. While members may genuinely care for people, the only reason they go out of their way to be so nice is to evangelise them. As soon as they decide a person is not worth recruiting – mentally weak, too much baggage, etc – they cut them off.

“I needed Providence members around to keep me believing. When I didn’t have those members around me, I slowly came back to reality. Time heals and, although I’ve not returned to any faith, I feel I have greater empathy for people who have come through mentally traumatic situations.

“I never witnessed anything in the church that made me think the pastor was a sexual predator, and I get why members stay with the church. But I now see many different cults around the world, where the followers believe Jesus has returned in spirit and is working through their pastor... 99% are cults.”

Mark says that while he misses the “euphoric spiritual moments” of Providence, he’s found happiness in a secular life. “I’m at peace; I’ve moved on.”

Sam describes falling into a “state of depression” after leaving Providence. “The world’s a mixed-up place after something like that. I didn’t know what was real anymore. Young, vulnerable people can become dependent on [groups like Providence]. It’s not always easy to get your life back on track. I see the damage Providence caused everyone I know – mentally, in terms of their spirituality.”

For those who leave the cult, the road home is a long one. [A critic] says the stigma of victim-blaming stops people coming forward, allowing the group to continue to operate and to manipulate people. The only remedy, he says, is to keep talking about it. “I don’t want to say some people are immune from this kind of exploitation. So many psychological tricks just work. What a lot of people are looking for are the things sects like Providence present to newcomers; they’re appealing to everyone.

“I would be wary of unsolicited invites and sudden friendships or groups that look too good to be true. These groups cast their net as widely as possible. And they’re out there: in your community, even next door.”

This was published in the June 2018 issue of North & South.

https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/social-issues/cults-nz-providence-infiltrate-nz/

​Exodus

​Exodus

​"​

Exodus, an anti-JMS (Jesus Morning Star) NGO comprised of dozens of former members and concerned citizens, formed to help victims, raise awareness

​..."​

Convicted rapist church leader Jeong Myeong-seok soon to be released

Self-proclaimed messiah Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of religious group 'Providence' is due to be released in February 2018 and it is believed that foreigners visiting the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang could be a recruiting target of the cult organisation.

Leah NA

SBSJanuary 8, 2018

Campaigners have voiced growing concerns about Korean "cult" leader Jeong Myeong-seok, due to be released on parole in February 2018.

Jeong, a leader of the religious group' Providence' - also known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS) is a self-proclaimed messiah and a convicted rapist.
JMS, a 'cult' led by a convicted rapist

Jeong is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the rape and sexual assault of five women across several Asian countries. The victims were his followers and were told they could be purified by becoming Jeong’s "spiritual brides" and having sex with him.

The JMS organisation has claimed there are 300 affiliated churches and more than 100,000 followers in Korea. It also claims that there are over 10,000 believers around the world and it operates in a number of other countries including Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan and Japan.

Providence was set up in Australia in 1997 and has founded branches in major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra.

Recruiters are especially active in university campuses and shopping centres, often luring young females by offering them modelling or dancing opportunities, bible study classes or even sports groups.

"The main beliefs of the group are that Jeong is the new Messiah," former Australian church member Liz told SBS The Feed in 2014.

"They said that we are in the position of brides towards God.

"And that were also in the position of brides to Jeong, the leader, as he represents God."
Anti-JMS activist Peter Daley warns "Beware of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics."

Australian Peter Daley is a lecturer in Korea and has been running an anti-JMS website called jmscult.com nearly for 15 years.

The website provides all the English information about how JMS operates and how it indoctrinates people.

Daley witnessed the group's first-hand when he taught English in the Korean county of Geumsan in 2002 and claims they are a cult.

He found that very little information was available in English at that time and that spurred him to follow the issue over a decade.

His journey has not been easy. As reported on by regional Korean news outlet Modern Religion Monthly, and detailed in an interview with Vice Daley has been taken to court by JMS and complains of alleged ongoing harassment, but it didn’t stop him from running the anti-JMS website.



Speaking to SBS Korean Mr Daley warns that Providence will become more be active once Jeong is released next month as it is a huge moment for his followers, who consider him as a god.

“Jeong’s release coincides with the Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics and the organisation traditionally uses big events as a recruitment opportunity, as lots of foreigners come to Korea," he says.

He says it is possible that the church will run a "front" group under the guise of introducing foreign visitors to Korean culture or music and eventually lure them to their church - as he says previously occurred during the 2002 World Cup period.

"In 2002 during the World Cup, they have a few events and 'front' groups," he says.

"They had one group called 'Smile Korea' which just kind of they greeted visitors and try to introduce them to cultural events, music events and sporting activities - that was the first point of entry into the group."

Mr Daley warns people to be cautious "if a group starts as a non-religious setting, then eventually changes to a religious study."

He also says that as well as luring new members in, this tactic serves another purpose.

"It also keeps members busy," says Daley. "Recruitment is one of the goals, but these activities also keep members extremely busy."

"Keeping members keep busy and sleep-deprived is kind of core management style of the group."

Issuing a warning to unsuspecting visitors, Mr Daley says, "If a bible group discloses its name and tells you about its leader, but tells you to keep it as a secret from your family and friends, then you should be careful - because that’s how JMS works."
Activist calls for foreign travel ban against Jeong

Jay Kim in Korea has been an anti-JMS activist for the past 20 years. He was not a former believer himself but says he has witnessed quite a few victims and has a strong belief that Jeong won’t stop running the cult even after his prison term, because the organisation's followers still believe that Jeong is innocent.

"I have met many people," says Kim. "Including 17 victims who were actually raped."

"I also talked to three or four foreign victims - like those who were featured in the Feed's episode - including former believers and their families."

"I think I have met hundreds of people - I couldn't believe their stories at first, but later I realised that these unbelievable stories were something really happened.

"Now I have been working on it for 20 years."

As to what can be done about to regulate the group, Lee says "as this is a matter of freedom of religion there are not many things what the law enforcement can do."

He suggests that if the South Korean government were to forbid Jeong from leaving the county, that would be helpful to prevent future victims.

“There are victims in US like Australia," says Lee. "I wish these victims work together and bring Jeong Myeong-seok to justice but if it is not possible I think we should stop him leaving from Korea at least.

"I think South Korea should ban his travel to overseas to prevent this occurring to other victims."
Australian believers’ father shares his loss

There have been a series of media reports about Australian female victims. Most recently ABC’s current affair program 7:30 reported on an Australian father and the recruitment of his daughter to the secretive Korean religious cult.

Gerry Wagemans told the ABC’s 7.30 that his only daughter, Camilla, was approached by recruiters of the Providence while she was a law student at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Mr Wageman said his family only has a very limited communication with his daughter.

“I’m told that she will come out, eventually. I hope it will be in my lifetime,” he said.

As per the 2014 story by The Feed, the group says it has nothing to hide and that it is just like any other religious group. They say their leader is not a messiah and that the church is not a cult.
Listen SBS Korean's full story (in Korean) via podcast in the audio player above.

https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/korean/en/audiotrack/convicted-rapist-church-leader-jeong-myeong-seok-soon-be-released?language=en

EXCLUSIVE: 'Your white skin arouses me': Inside the sinister Hitler-loving Korean sex cult luring young Australian girls into being 'spiritual brides' for a serial rapist

Jung Myung-seok

• Jesus Morning Star is a South Korean cult founded by Jung Myung-seok
• The group is believed to have spread to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra
• They lure new members through front groups such as modelling classes
• Members say they were recruited in universities and shopping centres
• They say group enforces sleep deprivation and severing of ties with family
• Female members are told they will be purified by having sex with Jung
• One member flew to Seoul to visit Jung where he is imprisoned for rape
• Hundreds of women claim to have been sexually assaulted by the leader
  
  

NELSON GROOM

AILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
20 May 2016

A notorious cult which allegedly brainwashes young women into having sex with a serial rapist is luring potential members in major cities across Australia.

South Korean group Jesus Morning Star (JMS) - who praise Hitler and preach members will be purified by having sex with their leader - are believed to be recruiting in shopping centres and universities in Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne.

The quasi-Christian sect was founded in 1980 by Jung Myung-seok (JMS), who is serving a 10-year-prison sentence in Seoul for raping and molesting his followers. He is due to walk free in 2017.

The highly secretive group, also known as Providence, is believed to have spread to Australia through a number of front organisations, including fashion modelling classes and bible studies.

Members say they are groomed into following a 'doctrine' which enforces sleep deprivation and encourages severing ties with family in order to be 'spiritual brides' for Jung.

Former followers have told Daily Mail Australia of the devastating impact the cult had on their lives and said they were left psychologically and emotionally scarred after leaving.

Elizabeth, who chose not to give her full name for fear of reprisal, was a member of the JMS's Canberra fraction for 18 months.

'I was shopping inside the Canberra Centre in April 2011. A Korean woman came over and said she was holding a Christian art show. It looked good so I thought I would check it out.'

After meeting the group's local leader she moved in with them later that year and was subjected to the indoctrination process, which includes sleep deprivation and a restricted diet.

'We had to wake up at 3am everyday to pray because they said this brought us closer to god. It's a mind control technique: when you're deprived of sleep you can't critically think.'

Teachings centered on the 'Messianic' leader Jung, who was depicted as a living Deity who had been falsely accused and persecuted like Jesus Christ.


'They encouraged us to write letters to him like he was our lover. He wrote sexually explicit replies saying things like 'your white skin arouses me,' or 'your vagina would look pretty.'

The group then asked her to fly to Seoul to visit him in Daejon prison, where he was locked up in 2009 on charges of rape and molestation after several years as a fugitive.

'I spent 15 minutes with him and three other members. He blew kisses at us and knew all our names and how we looked from photos in his cell. It was very surreal.'


Elizabeth said she was told to recruit members by telling them 'you look pretty, have you thought of being a model?,' before inviting them to front fashion classes.

After months of sleep deprivation and regulated eating, she was hospitalised with an eating disorder in 2012.

'It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because when I got out I moved back in with my parents, who organised an exit counselor to speak with me.'

'It was a devastating realisation to learn the truth. I was left mentally and physically broken.'


Members of the Canberra faction are understood to have moved to Melbourne following scrutiny into their controversial practices.

Another woman, who wished not be named, said she was recruited in early 2014 inside University of Melbourne, where the group is believed to still be actively recruiting.

'They asked me to fill out a survey about the class we were in. It seemed friendly enough, so I agreed to meet for one of their classes.'

After attending one of bible studies she was initially struck by some of their bizarre teachings - such as a holy reading of Adolf Hitler.

'Part of the teachings explored the idea of God's punishment. They said the holocaust was his mark of atonement because Jewish people killed Jesus. They told us Hitler was a vessel from god.'

She said girls were pressured to dress up for Jung and refrain from talking to the opposite sex so as to be 'spiritual brides' for him.



'I started recruiting for more members. I was told to look for virgins, and encouraged new members to wear white as much as possible to show Jung their purity.'

Eventually her parents staged an intervention, and she was deprogrammed by a cult expert. But for some families, the warning signs come too late.

One father said his daughter was recruited in Sydney Uni, and after being brainwashed by the group she was ordered to move to Western Australia.

'I only learned she had moved there when I saw her on one of their sites. It took a long time to pieces together the reality she had been told to move by the group.

Since his daughter was over 18 he could not seek the help of police to help track her down.

'I'm powerless to find her. I get a generic email from her every couple of months but aside from that we have no contact.'

He says he believes JMS still recruits at Sydney Uni and Broadway Shopping centre through a different front organisations.

Peter Daley, a Canberra born University lecturer who now lives in South Korea, has spent over a decade researching JMS and writing about them online in the hope of raising awareness.

'JMS is dangerous beyond assaults from the leader. The sleep deprivation and the stress caused when members cut ties with their family is incredibly damaging to members health.'

'And he is due out next year with no signs of rehabilitation. The numbers of girls that have visited him in jail suggest he is not going to change his ways any time soon.'


He said universities should be doing more to educate about the dangers of the group given they are known to target campuses.

'I think they have a duty of care to educate students about the dangers of the group. Many former members were recruited on their university campus'.'

A University of Melbourne spokesperson said they were not aware of the group but advised students who are involved to contact their Safer Community Program.

'We have an industry-leading Safer Community Program, and we have been very active in raising awareness of the program, and the support the University can offer students who experience situations like this.'

A spokesperson for Sydney University also denied being aware of the group but urged students to report groups misrepresenting their activities.

'Any behaviour by individuals or groups on campus misrepresenting themselves or their activities to students should be reported to Campus Security so that appropriate action can be taken.'

Daily Mail Australia has also contacted a spokesperson for Jesus Morning Star for comment.

WHO IS JESUS MORNING STAR

•  Founded in 1980 by Jung Myung-seok
• Started in South Korea and spread across Asia
• Followers identify Jung as the Second Coming of Christ
• Female members told they will be purified by having sex with Seok
• Hundreds of women have claimed they were raped or sexually abused by Jung
• Group is highly secretive in nature
• Has a history of violence against critics 
• Recruits members through front groups like modelling classes
• Reports of 240 branches in South Korea alone
  WHAT DO THEY DO IN AUSTRALIA
• Active in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra
• Have several front groups to lure members
• Recruit in major universities including Sydney Uni and Melbourne Uni
• Praise Adolf Hitler in their teachings 
• Enforce sleep deprivation and restricted diets on members
• Encourage them to sever ties with family
• Tell them to dress up for Jung and refrain from talking to the opposite sex
• Encouraged to recruit virgins into the group
• Arrange for members to fly to South Korea to visit Jungin jail
• Unclear how many members there are
  
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3595764/Cult-luring-Australian-girls-brides-South-Korean-rapist.html

How a South Korean Cult Tried and Failed to Sue This Australian Uni Lecturer

John Power
Vice
April 19, 2016

 

South Korea has more than its fair share of shadowy religious cults, but Jesus Morning Star (JSM), ranks among its more notorious. The sect claims to be a benign religious group that follows the Bible. But former members have described the leader, JeongMyeong-seok, as a self-proclaimed messiah who used claims of divine authority to groom young women. Tellingly, Jeong is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the rape and sexual assault of five women across several Asian countries.

Canberra native Peter Daley is a lecturer in South Korea and he's spent the past 13 years tracking the movements of JSM and several other sects at his website jsmcult.com. In 2014, Peter was interviewed by SBS' The Feed in a report on how JSM targets university women in Australia to become Jeong's "spiritual brides."

Unsurprisingly, Peter's unconventional hobby hasn't endeared him to cult members. Recently, several female members tried to have him prosecuted for defamation, which is a criminal offence in South Korea. Peter had posted video footage of them nakedly praising Jeong on his website, even though the footage was heavily pixelated and already available in the public domain. After a seven-month investigation by police and prosecutors, Peter was cleared of all charges last month.

We asked Peter about his legal travails, how he became the foremost Western expert on Korean cults, and what JSM is up to in Australia.

VICE: Hi Peter, how did you first get into tracking South Korean cults?
Peter Daley: I moved to Korea in 2003 and took a job teaching English in a rural town in the mountains. A few months later I discovered it was the closest town to the base of this cult known as JMS. My roommate was a member but when she decided to leave, the group threatened her. They told her God would kill someone in her family and members started following her around town. They were waiting for her at the swimming pool she would swim at twice a week.

There wasn't much information in English at the time and I became quite fascinated by the organisation—how it operated, how it indoctrinated people. As there wasn't much information in English I started a site. As that was in 2003 it's been growing since then.

Tell us more about what this cult.
The videos, I think, provide a really clear window into how they indoctrinate young women, if they're beautiful enough. The videos show naked university students together—there are about four or five of them in one video—naked and dancing around saying "Seonsaengnim, we love you!" Seonsaengnim is the word for teacher. There's another video showing a woman licking a photo of the leader and then she holds it up to her vagina. So this is a clear indication that sex has a pretty key role in the deeper levels of the cult.

What can you tell us about JSM in Australia?
It's pretty small, but they do have presences in the major cities. The SBS report interviewed two girls who were recruited around the Australian National University campus. At the moment, their main branch is in Melbourne and there has been recruitment at the University of Melbourne. Their goal is to pretty much target tall attractive women, and they rationalise this by telling their members that outward appearance is a sign of inward beauty and a sign that God has chosen them to become part of this.

Yes, that's creepy. So how did you come to be sued by the cult?
I think the cult saw me as more of a threat following the SBS report. Between 2014 and last August, I'd get these intermediate threats. Then in August 2015, I got a call from police telling me I was being sued by several members. I was given a document to sign from JMS saying they'd drop the charges if I apologised, closed my website, and never spoke about them again. I just refused immediately. I didn't even have to think about it really, it was just an automatic no.




An example of the messages Peter received before being summoned.

Were you scared to turn them down?
I wouldn't say I was scared, but it weighed heavily on me. Members have committed violence against reporters and critics in the past, so that is always a possibility. I was certainly nervous going to the first police interview, but once it began I relished the opportunity to share my experiences with Korean authorities.

So what happened?
The police recommended to prosecutors that the case be dropped. I just received a brief summary of the prosecutor's decision, but I am getting an English translation of the seven-page document soon. Essentially it was ruled that the public interest factor outweighed concerns about sexual content.

So what did you learn from this experience?
I learned that my site is having a far greater effect that I could have dreamed of. The fact they went to so much effort to silence me, I think, speaks volumes.

Do you plan to continue this work?
Yes, absolutely. First, I find the topic endlessly fascinating and second, I know my efforts have helped people and, to some extent, hindered the activities of what are essentially criminal organisations. That's a good feeling.

http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/how-a-south-korean-cult-tried-and-failed-to-sue-an-australian-school-teacher-for-defamation

How a South Korean Cult Tried and Failed to Sue This Australian Professor

We talked to Peter Daley about what it's like to face jail for running a hobby website on cults.

John Power

Vice
December 31, 2014

South Korea has more than its fair share of shadowy religious cults, but Jesus Morning Star (JMS), ranks among its more notorious. The sect claims to be a benign religious group that follows the Bible. But former members have described the leader, Jeong Myeong-seok, as a self-proclaimed messiah who used claims of divine authority to groom young women. Tellingly, Jeong is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the rape and sexual assault of five women across several Asian countries.

Canberra native Peter Daley is a lecturer in South Korea and he's spent the past 13 years tracking the movements of JMS and several other sects at his website jmscult.com. In 2014, Peter was interviewed by SBS' The Feed in a report on how JMS targets university women in Australia to become Jeong's "spiritual brides."

Unsurprisingly, Peter's unconventional hobby hasn't endeared him to cult members. Recently, several female members tried to have him prosecuted for defamation, which is a criminal offence in South Korea. Peter had posted video footage of them nakedly praising Jeong on his website, even though the footage was heavily pixelated and already available in the public domain. After a seven-month investigation by police and prosecutors, Peter was cleared of all charges last month.

We asked Peter about his legal travails, how he became the foremost Western expert on Korean cults, and what JMS is up to in Australia.

These stills from a JMS video were were released by a former member at a press conference.

VICE: Hi Peter, how did you first get into tracking South Korean cults?
Peter Daley: I moved to Korea in 2003 and took a job teaching English in a rural town in the mountains. A few months later I discovered it was the closest town to the base of this cult known as JMS. My roommate was a member but when she decided to leave, the group threatened her. They told her God would kill someone in her family and members started following her around town. They were waiting for her at the swimming pool she would swim at twice a week.

There wasn't much information in English at the time and I became quite fascinated by the organisation—how it operated, how it indoctrinated people. As there wasn't much information in English I started a site. As that was in 2003 it's been growing since then.

Tell us more about this cult.

The videos, I think, provide a really clear window into how they indoctrinate young women, if they're beautiful enough. The videos show naked university students together—there are about four or five of them in one video—naked and dancing around saying "Seonsaengnim, we love you!" Seonsaengnim is the word for teacher. There's another video showing a woman licking a photo of the leader and then she holds it up to her vagina. So this is a clear indication that sex has a pretty key role in the deeper levels of the cult.

A children's performance at the Sydney branch of the sect.

What can you tell us about JMS in Australia?
It's pretty small, but they do have presences in the major cities. The SBS report interviewed two girls who were recruited around the Australian National University campus. At the moment, their main branch is in Melbourne and there has been recruitment at the University of Melbourne. Their goal is to pretty much target tall attractive women, and they rationalise this by telling their members that outward appearance is a sign of inward beauty and a sign that God has chosen them to become part of this.

Yes, that's creepy. So how did you come to be sued by the cult?
I think the cult saw me as more of a threat following the SBS report. Between 2014 and last August, I'd get these intermediate threats. Then in August 2015, I got a call from police telling me I was being sued by several members. I was given a document to sign from JMS saying they'd drop the charges if I apologised, closed my website, and never spoke about them again. I just refused immediately. I didn't even have to think about it really, it was just an automatic no.


An example of the messages Peter received before being summoned.

Were you scared to turn them down?
I wouldn't say I was scared, but it weighed heavily on me. Members have committed violence against reporters and critics in the past, so that is always a possibility. I was certainly nervous going to the first police interview, but once it began I relished the opportunity to share my experiences with Korean authorities.

So what happened?

The police recommended to prosecutors that the case be dropped. I just received a brief summary of the prosecutor's decision, but I am getting an English translation of the seven-page document soon. Essentially it was ruled that the public interest factor outweighed concerns about sexual content.
So what did you learn from this experience?

I learned that my site is having a far greater effect that I could have dreamed of. The fact they went to so much effort to silence me, I think, speaks volumes.
Do you plan to continue this work?

Yes, absolutely. First, I find the topic endlessly fascinating and second, I know my efforts have helped people and, to some extent, hindered the activities of what are essentially criminal organisations. That's a good feeling.

https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/gq9wxy/how-a-south-korean-cult-tried-and-failed-to-sue-an-australian-school-teacher-for-defamation