Korean Cult Leader To Spend 23 Years Behind Bars
In a significant court ruling, Jung Myung Seok, founder of fringe church widely known as the Jesus Morning Star was sentenced to 23 years imprisonment with electronic monitoring for 15 years, for numerous sexual crimes including “quasi-rape”, committed between February 2018 to September 2021. Quasi-rape implies that the victim was unconscious or unable to resist during the assaults.
Aired in March, Netflix docu-series In The Name of God: A Holy Betrayal had exposed the horrific actions of four leaders including Jung Myung Seok, who exploited the trust of his female followers for his own sexual gratification. The eight-part program brought in Maple Yip (葉萱), one of the victims who was also HK star Alex Fong’s (方力申) girlfriend who shared through tearful recounts horrific actions of the infamous leader. The show had included a real-life voice recording of the former JMS member’s assault, causing a stir when it was aired.
According to the court statement, the cult leader’s victims included those from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. In 2022, Yip and another victim courageously came forward in a press conference with sexual abuse allegations against Jung Myung Seok. They filed a police report, and he was arrested in October that same year. During his trial, the 78-year-old claimed that the allegations levelled against him were “groundless”, and tried to prevent the course of investigations and legal proceedings using the power of the religious church.
Source: HK01
Finally!!! But I bet he still have tons of believers that still feel injustice toward him…
Justice is not served. Guy is seventy something, how many years will he live in jail? Hope he ends up in a max security prison and gets put with the worst criminals who despise rapists like him.
Disgusting scum, hope he lives the rest of his years in misery.
This monster deserves to live and suffer in jail. He has destroyed the lives of many people. It is not just the victims who suffer, but their friends and families too.
Drifting a little off topic. I just got a call telling me that Lee Sun Kyung has been found dead. That is all I heard for now.
Yes, suicidal. There’re speculations on the reason since his tests had been negative and just the day or so before he requested to go through the assessment on whether he was telling the truth.
Some said it was the financial penalties he had for the movies and ads etc for his ruined image which I wonder if these penalties will go to his spouse and family instead now.
There is also the speculation of his “mistress” (no idea how true is their relationship) having more dirty info on him.
And other conspiracy theories out there.
Very sad news…I cried as I have followed his shows since Coffee Prince. But was disappointed when I learnt he was not the great husband/father he always imply he was in interviews. But still did not think he should be witched hunted and publicly prosecuted for drugs when he had not gone into trial. I will miss him.