Why would the General of the Korean Army, fellow comrades in the Korean War, hundreds of thousands of followers from different walks of life and various countries, put their reputation on the line to speak up for Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok? This would not be the case if he was truly a beast, a criminal, a brain-washer, a cult, and all the other inhumane labels given by the media, stoked by a small group of naysayers. (see video at the end of this article)
Why would there be zero concrete evidence, but only verbal accusations or questionable audio recordings, if what the naysayers said were true? Why do the naysayers need to stoop so low as to utilise a sensationalistic platform like Netflix to stoke negative public opinion against Pastor Jeong in the midst of the trial, instead of giving the court a fair and unbiased setting to make its decisions?
Pastor Jeong was convicted in South Korea based on a downright biased and unfair setting. When people speak up for him, they are labeled as “brain washed” and so regarded as unreliable sources by the court and media. Isn’t the court and media brain-washed (by their own prejudices) as well, and hence unfit to preform its duty of ensuring justice?
People are speaking up for Pastor Jeong because they have genuinely experienced his life and teachings, and are motivated to put their reputations on the line to speak up for the injustice. A 23-year jail sentence means little about whether Pastor Jeong is guilty, if the sentencing is faced with numerous problems highlighted earlier. South Korea, please wake up and sort out your problematic courts and social problems. Cases like Pastor Jeong’s and the suicide of a teacher over unjustified accusations are symptoms of a wider societal fracture that will only lead to a national decline.
Every individual, regardless of their position in society or religious affiliation, should be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The right to a fair trial is a fundamental human right, enshrined in both domestic and international law.
Unfortunately, ever since the sensationalized program, “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” was aired in March, the trial of Pastor Jung Myung Seok became negatively influenced by countless unethical broadcasts and publications of fake news, which has instigated a modern-day witch hunt of Pastor Jung and Christian Gospel Mission members.
Please sign this petition if you are an advocate of basic human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the eradication of fake news.
2023년 정명석 총재에 대한 재판에서의 명백한 절차적 정의 위반FLAGRANT BREACHES OF PROCEDURAL JUSTICE IN PRESIDENT JUNG MYUNG SEOK’S 2023 TRIAL
* 고지사항: 본 의견은 경험 풍부하고 독립적인 한국 및 이태리아 변호인의 전문적인 조언을 바탕으로 작성되었습니다. Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece written with professional inputs from reputable independent legal counsel in Korea and Italy
절차적 정의 Procedural justice
당신이 만약 범죄 혐의로 기소되었다면, 법정에서 공정하게 재판을 받은 후 판사에 의해 판결이 내려지기를 원하십니까, 아니면 같은 판사가 공정한 재판절차 없이 소셜 미디어에서의 관련 활동을 본 것으로만 근거로 하여 판결을 내리기를 원하십니까? 아마도 당신은 전자를 선호할 가능성이 높으며, 그 이유는 법정 정의와 언론 정의 사이의 주요한 차이에 있는데, 이것이 바로 “절차적 정의”라고 알려진 것입니다. If you were accused of a crime, would you want the verdict to be made by the judge after a trial in a courtroom, or by the same judge but without a trial and only after watching a campaign on social media? Chances are, you would prefer the former, and the reason lies in the main difference between courtroom justice and media justice, which is what is known as “procedural justice”.
절차적 정의는 진실의 발견을 촉진하고 보장하는 공정한 절차와 규칙을 마련하는 것을 의미합니다. 법정 재판은 고소인과 피고인 모두에게 증인을 소환하고 증거를 제시할 수 있는 공정한 기회를 제공하고, 양측이 사건을 준비할 수 있는 충분한 시간을 허용함은 물론 양측 변호사가 변호할 수 있도록 하는 등 이러한 절차를 이행할 것으로 기대됩니다. 양측이 서로의 증인과 증거에 대해 질문하고 면밀히 조사할 수 있도록 허용하면서 의심스럽고 출처를 알 수 없는 증거에 의존하지 않습니다. 팔로워가 진실성 대신 인기와 선정주의에 의해 결정되고 사람들이 반대 조사를 받거나 책임을 질 필요 없이 원하는 대로 말할 수 있는 소셜 미디어 활동에는 그러한 규칙이 없습니다. Procedural justice refers to having fair processes and rules in place that facilitates and ensures the discovery of the truth. Courtroom trials are expected to implement such procedure, including allowing both the accuser and the defendant a fair chance to call witnesses and present evidence to present their case, allowing both sides enough time to prepare for their case, allowing both sides to be represented by lawyers, allowing both sides to question and scrutinise each other’s witnesses and evidence, and not relying on evidence that is questionable and of unknown origin. Such rules are not present in a social media campaign where one’s following is determined by popularity and sensationalism, instead of veracity, and where persons can say whatever they want without the need to be cross-examined or held accountable.
절차적 정의는 공정하고 정당한 결과(실질적 정의라고도 함)를 달성하는 데 매우 중요합니다. 수단과 프로세스가 불공평할 경우 불공정한 결과가 나올 위험이 더 크기 때문입니다. 예를 들어 양측의 주장을 충분히 듣고 판결을 내리는 판사는 한쪽만 듣고 판결을 내리는 판사보다 공정한 판결을 내릴 가능성이 높습니다. 네티즌들이 반대신문을 거치지 않은 고소인의 유튜브 내용만을 보고 내린 결정은 판사가 법정에서 반대신문을 거친 후에 내린 판단보다 부당하거나 잘못되었을 가능성이 큽니다. 이러한 절차 규칙을 더 많이 위반할수록 실질적으로 부당한 결과가 발생할 가능성이 커집니다. 이것이 미국과 다른 많은 문명국가에서 절차적 정의에 대한 편파적인 위반이 발견되면 피고인이 자동으로 무죄를 선고받을 수 있는 이유입니다. Procedural justice is critical to achieving a fair and just outcome (also known as substantive justice) because if the means and processes are unfair, there is a greater risk of an unfair outcome. For example, a judge who makes a decision after fully listening to both parties present their cases is more likely to be able to make a fair decision as compared to a judge who makes a decision after only listening to one side. A decision made by netizens after only looking at content put on YouTube by an accuser who has not been cross-examined is more likely to be unfair or wrong than a decision made by a judge after seeing the cross-examination of those accusers in court. The more these rules of procedure are breached, the greater the likelihood of an unjust substantive outcome. This is why, in the US and many other civilised countries, accused persons can be automatically acquitted if it is found that there have been prejudicial breaches of procedural justice.
정명석 총재 재판에서의 절차적 정의 위반 Breaches of procedural justice in President Jung’s trial
2023년 현재 지금까지의 정명석 총재(이하 ‘정 총재’)에 대한 성범죄 재판에서 이미 명백한 절차적 정의 위반이 다수 있었습니다. 이 의견서를 작성하는 시점에서 재판부는 아직 정 총재의 유죄 여부를 결정하지 않았습니다만 재판 절차가 얼마나 불공평하게 진행되었는지를 감안할 때 어떤 형태로든 유죄 판결이 나올 가능성은 크며, 그러므로 정 총재는 재심을 받거나 무죄를 선고받아야 합니다. There were multiple flagrant breaches of procedural justice in President Jung Myung Seok’s 2023 trial for sexual offences. At the time of writing this opinion piece, the judge has yet to decide whether President Jung is guilty. However, given how unfairly the trial procedure has been carried out, any conviction would be unsafe and President Jung should either be given a retrial or acquitted.
1. 정 총재의 변호인단 집단 사퇴가 이루어지기까지의 신상털기 Doxxing of President Jung’s lawyers to the point of mass resignation
모든 피고인은 변호사의 변호를 받을 기본적인 권리가 있습니다. 왜냐하면 세상의 대부분의 피고인들은 법적인 훈련을 받지 못했고, 무고하거나 진실을 말하더라도 판사에게 설명하고 증명할 증거를 제시할 수 있는 구술 능력이나 기술적 지식이 없기 때문입니다. 따라서 그들은 피고인의 사건을 판사에게 적절하게 제시하기 위해 피고인의 대변인이 될 구두 및 기술 능력을 갖춘 변호사에 의해 변호되어야 합니다. 변호를 도와줄 변호사가 없다는 이유만으로 무고한 사람이 잘못 유죄 판결을 받은 사례가 역사적으로 많이 있었습니다. 그러한 부당함은 피고인들이 적절하게 변호될 수 있도록 함으로써 피해야 합니다. 결국 진실이 무엇인지 결정하는 것은 변호사가 아닌 판사의 의무이고, 설령 유죄로 밝혀지더라도 변호사는 피고인의 사건을 제시하기 위해 자신의 일을 하는 것이기 때문에 설령 그 사람이 유죄가 나더라도 그 사람을 변호하는 것에 대한 잘못은 없습니다. Every accused person has a fundamental right to be defended by lawyers. This is because most accused persons in the world are not legally trained, and even if they may be innocent or telling the truth, they do not have the oral skills nor the technical knowledge to know how to explain to the judge and present evidence to prove the truth. They thus need to be defended by a lawyer, who has the oral and technical skills to be the mouthpiece of the accused to properly present his case to the judge. However, there have been many cases in history where innocent persons have been wrongly convicted simply because they did not have a lawyer to help defend them. Such injustice must be avoided by allowing accused persons to be properly defended. Ultimately, it is the duty of the judge, and not the lawyer, to decide what the truth is, and lawyers are not at fault for defending someone even if he turns out to be guilty, because the lawyer is simply doing his job to present the accused’s case.
정 총재의 경우에는 법무법인 ‘광장’을 비롯 개인 변호사들이 변호했습니다. 이들 변호사들은 2022년 초 수사 단계부터 2023년 초 재판까지 정 총재와 함께 일했으며, 사건과 증거에 대해 가장 포괄적인 지식을 갖고 있었습니다. 그러나 2023년 3월 재판 도중 언론은 정 총재 변호인단의 신분과 사진, 인적사항, 배경 등을 SNS 곳곳에 공개하고 유포하며 정 총재 변호를 비판하는 등 신상털기를 시작했습니다. 네티즌들과 인플루언서들은 변호인들이 정치적 이유로 정 총재를 옹호하고 있다, 탐욕스럽고 돈을 목적으로 하고 있다, 양심이 없다, 사이비 조직원이다 라는 등 다양한 근거 없는 욕설을 쏟아냈습니다. In President Jung’s case, he had engaged lawyers from the “Gwang Jang” law firm and other individual lawyers to defend him. These lawyers had worked with President Jung from the investigation stage in early 2022 all the way till the trial in early 2023, and had the most comprehensive knowledge of the case and the evidence. However, right in the middle of the trial in March 2023, the media began doxxing President Jung’s lawyers by disclosing and spreading their identities, pictures, personal information and background all over the social media, criticising them for defending President Jung. Netizens and influencers cast various baseless aspersions over them, including that they were defending President Jung for political reasons, that they were greedy and money-minded and doing it for the money, that they had no conscience, that they were cult members, etc. Here are some examples of the doxxing that had occurred:
다음은 과거 정 총재 재판을 맡았던 변호인들에 대한 신상털기의 몇 가지 사례입니다.
극심한 신상털기와 이로 인해 인터넷 프레임이 씌워지면서 이 결과로 재판이 진행되는 시기에 정 총재의 거의 모든 변호사가 사임했고(기사1, 기사2, 및 기사3 참조), 정 총재는 새로운 변호사를 선임해야 했습니다. As a result of the severe doxxing and internet flaming, almost all of President Jung’s lawyers resigned, at a time when the trial was ongoing (see here, here, and here), and President Jung had to appoint new lawyers.
사퇴한 변호사들은 처음부터 사건을 검토하고 재판을 주도해 온 사람들이기 때문에 이는 정 총재에게 매우 불리한 일이었습니다. 그들의 사임으로 이 사건에 익숙하지 않은 변호사들에게 사건이 넘겨졌습니다. 설상가상으로 재판부는 정 총재의 신임 변호사들이 사건 준비를 제대로 할 시간을 주기 위한 재판 연기도 허용치 않고, 대신 정 총재의 구속기간이 만료돼 보석으로 석방돼야 하는 시점인 2023년 4월 27일 이전에 서둘러 판결을 내리려 했기 때문에 재판을 예정대로 진행해야 한다고 주장했습니다. 그 결과 정 총재의 변호는 상당히 위태로워지고 그만큼 제대로 된 변호를 할 수 없었습니다. This was highly prejudicial to President Jung because the lawyers who resigned were the ones who had been working on the case from the very beginning and who had been leading the trial. With their resignation, the case was thrown to lawyers who were unfamiliar with the case. Worse still, the judge did not adjourn the trial to give President Jung’s new lawyers time to properly prepare for the case, instead insisting that the trial had to continue as scheduled, as he was trying to rush to reach a decision before 27 April 2023, which was when President Jung’s remand period would expire and he had to be let out on bail. As a result, President Jung’s defence was highly compromised and he was unable to put forth his defence as capably as possible.
2. 피고인측 증인에게는 터무니없이 불균형한 시간이 주어지다 Ridiculously disproportionate time given for defence witnesses to testify
절차적 정의의 또 다른 기본원칙은 양측이 자신을 대신하여 증언하고 진실을 입증할 증인을 소집할 수 있는 충분하고 적절한 기회를 제공받아야 한다는 것입니다. 그러나 이 재판의 경우 이 기본원칙은 완전히 깨졌습니다. 검찰은 증인이 소수에 불과했지만 증인이 법정에서 증언할 수 있는 시간으로 며칠에 걸쳐 기회가 주어졌습니다. 이에 반해 정 총재는 총 22명의 증인이 있었지만 증인이 증언할 수 있는 시간은 비참하게도 단 3시간뿐이었습니다. 피고인 측 증인에게 할당된 시간은 검찰 측에 할당된 시간의 양에 비해 완전히 불균형했습니다. 판사는 증인 22명의 진술서를 이미 읽었고 그래서 구두로 증언하는 것은 들을 필요가 없다고 말함으로써 이를 설명하려 했습니다. 그러나 판사가 증인들이 진술하고 있는 모든 내용을 사실로 받아들일 준비가 되어 있지 않은 한 이 같은 판사의 행동은 용납될 수 없습니다. 만약 판사가 증인이 진실을 말하고 있지 않다고 생각한다면, 판사는 증인을 불러 증언하게 하고, 판사가 진실이라고 생각하지 않는 부분에 대해서는 증인에게 설명을 더 요구해야 합니다. 그렇게 해야 판사는 해당 증인을 믿어야 할지 말아야 할지 결정하기 전에 증인의 설명을 들을 기회를 가질 수 있습니다. 이것이 재판의 기능입니다. 판사가 증인으로부터 직접 듣고 증인을 신문하여 적절한 심리 하에 법정에서 진실이 결정될 수 있도록 하는 것입니다. 판사는 증인의 의견을 듣지 않고 성급하게 추측해서는 안 됩니다. 특히 개인의 자유가 걸린 형사재판에서는 더욱 그러하며, 혐의가 극도로 심각한 이 사건에서는 더욱 그렇습니다. 이 사건은 매우 신중하고 철저한 조사가 필요한 사건입니다. Another fundamental principle of procedural justice is that both sides must be given sufficient and appropriate opportunity to call witnesses to testify on their behalf and to prove the truth. This basic rule was completely broken in this case. The prosecution only had a handful of witnesses, but were given several days for their witnesses to testify in the courtroom. In contrast, President Jung had a total of 22 witnesses, but was only given 3 miserable hours for his witnesses to testify. The time allocated to the defence witnesses was wholly disproportionate to the amount of time allocated to the prosecution. The judge attempted to explain this by stating that he had already read the written statements of the 22 witnesses, and that there was no need to listen to them testifying orally. However, this is unacceptable unless the judge is prepared to accept everything in the witnesses’ statements as being true. If the judge thinks that the witness is not telling the truth, the judge ought to call the witness to testify, and ask the witness to explain the parts of the testimony that the judge does not think is true, so that the judge has a chance to hear the witness’ explanation before deciding whether to believe him or not. This is the whole function of a trial – to allow the judge to hear directly from the witness and to question the witness so that the truth can be determined in court under proper examination. The judge should not jump to assumptions without hearing from the witness. This is especially so in a criminal trial where a person’s liberty is at stake, and all the more so in this case where the allegations are extremely serious. This case requires nothing but the most careful and thorough examination.
그러나 유감스럽게도 재판부는 정 총재의 구속 기간이 만료되는 2023년 4월 27일 이전에 결정을 내리고 싶어 시간이 없다며 증인신문을 거부했습니다. 이 이유는 용납할 수 없고 편향되어 있습니다. 정 총재의 구속 기간이 만료된다 해도 보석 중인 정 총재는 법정에 출석할 것이기 때문에 재판부가 사건을 계속 심리하지 못할 이유는 없습니다. 이러한 연유로 판사는 이미 정 총재의 유죄를 추정하고 정 총재가 석방되기 전에 서둘러 사건을 마무리하려는 것으로밖에 보이지 않습니다. 판사가 양측의 증언 청취를 마치기 전에 결정을 내려서는 안 되기 때문에 이것은 부적절합니다. 더욱이 정 총재의 변호인단은 피고인 측 증인들에게 법정 증언의 기회가 제대로 주어진다면 구속 기간이 만료되더라도 정 총재의 구속 상태를 계속해서 유지할 용의가 있다고 재판부에 알린 바 있습니다. 판사는 합당한 이유를 제시하지 않은 채 완벽하게 합리적인 이 제안도 거부했습니다. Regrettably, the judge refused to hear the witnesses, stating that he had no time because he wanted to reach a decision before 27 April 2023, before President Jung’s period of remand expires. This reason is unacceptable and biased. Even if President Jung’s period of remand expires, there is no good reason why the judge cannot continue to hear the case with President Jung attending court while on bail. It therefore appears that the judge has already presumed that President Jung is guilty, which is why the judge is hastily trying to finish the case before President Jung is released. However, this is improper as the judge should not make a decision before he finishes hearing the evidence from both sides. Furthermore, President Jung’s lawyers had already informed the judge that President Jung was willing to continue staying in remand even after his remand expires, if this was what it would take for the judge to give his witnesses opportunity to testify in court. The judge rejected this perfectly reasonable suggestion, without giving any good reason for doing so.
3. 심리 중(sub judice)임에도 진행되고 있는 언론 재판 Sub judice – Trial by media
라틴어로 “판사 아래(under a judge)”라는 뜻의 “심리 중(sub judice)”의 원칙은 사법적 결정이 아직 진행 중인 사안이 공개적으로 논의되는 것을 금지합니다. 이 원칙의 근거는 판사 또는 증인에게 영향을 미침으로써 사법 절차 또는 사법 집행을 해칠 위험이 있는 해당 문제 관련 공개토론이나 의견을 금지하자는 것입니다. 연구에 따르면, 범죄에 관한 뉴스 기사는 일반적으로 왜곡되고, 일방적이며, 종종 피고인이 이미 유죄라고 가정한다고 합니다. 이러한 경우에는 피고인의 과거 범죄경력, 범죄에 대한 선정적인 묘사, 고소인의 선동적인 진술 등 실제 형사재판에서는 좀처럼 허용되지 않는 편견을 불러 일으킬 만한 정보와 주장이 포함되는 경우가 많습니다. 이런 뉴스들이 판사들이 피고인에 대해 이미 유죄 판결을 내리고 부정적이고 편파적인 태도로 재판에 임하게 할 가능성이 높다는 연구 결과도 나왔고, 과거에도 언론의 영향으로 무고한 사람들이 잘못 유죄 판결을 받은 사례가 많았습니다. 또한 이러한 언론 뉴스로 인해 판사와 검사의 결정이 진실만을 기반으로 하는 것이 아니라 정치적, 평판적 결과에 의해 좌우될 수 있습니다. 그들은 대중의 눈에 자신의 평판이나 지위를 향상시키거나 정치인 또는 상사로부터의 승진이나 호의를 얻어낼 거라고 믿는 결정을 내릴 수 있습니다. 그들은 또한 비판과 비난을 받게 될 결정을 내리는 것을 피할 수도 있습니다. The doctrine of “sub judice”, which is Latin for “under a judge”, prohibits matters which are pending judicial determination from being discussed in public. The rationale of the rule is to prevent public discussion or opinion on the matter, which leads to a risk of prejudicing the judicial process or the administration of justice by influencing the judge or witnesses. Research has shown that news stories about crimes are typically skewed and one-sided, often assuming that the defendant is already guilty. These stories often include prejudicial information and claims that are rarely allowed during the actual criminal trial, such as the accused’s past criminal history, sensationalised descriptions of the crime, and inflammatory statements made by the accusers.[1] Research also showed that such news stories influences the decision makers to be more likely to hand down a guilty verdict and enter the trial with an already negative and biased attitude against the defendant, and there have been numerous past cases where innocent persons were wrongly convicted due to influence by the media.[2] Such media publicity can also cause the decisions of judges and prosecutors to be swayed by political and reputational consequences,[3] instead of being based solely on the truth. They may make decisions which they believe will improve their reputation or standing in the eyes of the public, or earn them a promotion or favour with the politicians or bosses. They may also avoid making decisions which will lead them to be criticised.
진행 중인 재판에 대한 이러한 언론의 간섭은 무죄 판결로 이어지기까지 했습니다. 셰퍼드 대 맥스웰(Sheppard v. Maxwell)의 미국 사례에서 샘 셰퍼드는 아내를 살해한 혐의로 기소되었습니다. 그의 재판 기간 동안 전국 언론의 집중 보도가 있었고, 기자와 사진가들은 이런 보도를 통해 계속해서 재판 절차를 방해했습니다. 셰퍼드는 살인죄로 유죄판결을 받았지만 대법원에 항소하면서 대법원은 “소란이 법원을 지배했다”는 것과 공정한 재판이 이루어지지 않았을 합리적인 가능성이 있다는 데 동의함으로써 재심을 명령했고, 셰퍼드는 무죄 판결을 받았습니다. Such media interference with ongoing trials has even led to acquittals. In the case of Sheppard v Maxwell, Sam Sheppard was accused was murdering his wife. There was intense national press coverage during his trial and reporters and photographers continually interfered with the proceedings. Sheppard was convicted of murder but on his appeal to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court agreed that “bedlam reigned at the courthouse” and that there was a reasonable likelihood that a fair trial was not occur. The Supreme Court thus ordered a retrial, where Sheppard was acquitted.[4]
또 다른 미국 사례인 미국 대 아카르도(United States v. Accardo) 사건의 경우, 미국 제7 순회항소법원은 피고인이 재판 전과 재판 중에 부정적인 평판에 의해 부당하게 편견을 받았다고 판단하여 피고인에게 유죄를 선고한 하급 법원의 결정을 뒤집었습니다. 재판 기간 중 시카고의 지하세계와 전국적인 범죄 조직에 연루된 피고인의 악명이 지역 신문과 뉴스 방송에 의해 널리 알려졌기 때문입니다.[5]
In another US case of United States v. Accardo, the US Seventh Circuit appeal court reversed the lower court’s decision to convict the accused, as the accused had been unfairly prejudiced by negative publicity before and during the trial, as the accused’s reputation for being involved in Chicago’s underworld and the nationwide crime syndicate was widely publicized by local newspapers and news broadcasts.[5]
정 총재의 2023년 재판에서 언론의 간섭과 편파 보도의 양은 인류 역사상 전 세계적으로 유례가 없는 수준이라고 할 수 있을 정도로 엄청납니다. 이 사건에 대해 전 세계적으로 수백, 수천 개의 기사와 댓글이 게시되었습니다. 많은 방송사에서 그의 범죄혐의 기록(이 혐의도 사실 부당합니다 – 기사4 및 기사5 참조)까지 공개하며 일방적이고 근거 없는 선정적인 주장을 펼쳤습니다. 여기에는 정 회장이 여성 1만 명을 성폭행했다는 명백한 허위 주장도 포함되어 있습니다. 이러한 주장은 너무나 터무니없기 때문에(기사6, 기사7 및 기사8 참조) 이렇게 보도한 언론사들의 신뢰성에 대해 많은 것을 말해줍니다. 이들 언론사의 목표는 자신들의 이익을 위해 정 총재를 괴물로 부당하게 묘사하는 것이었습니다. In President Jung’s case, the amount of interference and prejudicial reporting by the media is so incredulous that it can even be said to be globally unprecedented in all of human history. The case was reported over several dozens of newspapers all over the world which published his past criminal conviction (which was unjust – see here and here) and made one-sided, baseless, and sensational allegations against him. These included patently false allegations such as President Jung having raped 10,000 women. These allegations are so ridiculous (see here, here, and here) that it speaks volumes about the credibility of these gossipy news agencies that published it. The goal of these media companies was to unfairly paint President Jung as a monster, for the sake of their own profit.
넷플릭스는 정 총재에 대한 3부작 다큐멘터리까지 방영해 정 총재에게 성폭행을 당했다고 주장하는 익명의 고발자들의 근거 없는 견해를 제시했고, 증거라고 주장하는 검증되지 않은 문서와 오디오 클립을 선보였습니다. 이러한 익명의 고발자와 확인되지 않은 문서는 법정에 증거로 제출된 적이 없으며, 정확히는 재판의 절차에 편견을 줄 수 있는 허용되지 않는 종류의 증거입니다. 더 나쁜 것은, 방송에는 위조된 오디오 클립(오디오 클립이 어떻게 조작되었는지 보여주는 법의학적 증거와 실제 오디오 클립 뒤의 진실에 대한 목격자 증거는 기사9, 기사10, 영상1, 영상2, 및 기사11 참조)과 다른 조작된 자료(영상3, 기사12, 및 기사13 참조)가 포함되어 있다는 것입니다. 방송은 고소인의 주장에 의문을 제기할 만한 고소인의 문자 메시지, 일기 기록 및 고소인의 행동에 대한 비디오 녹화와 같은 객관적인 중요 증거는 보도하지 않았습니다(기사14 및 영상4 참조). 넷플릭스는 그러한 검증되지 않은 자료를 방송할 정당한 동기가 없습니다. 제작진은 진실을 밝히고 정의를 옹호하고 싶다고 주장하지만, 사실 한 일이라곤 거짓을 재방영하고 진행 중인 재판을 방해하는 것이기 때문에 이것은 허위일 뿐입니다. 만약 제작진이 진정으로 정의에 관심을 가졌다면, 소셜 미디어 상에서 정의를 구경거리로 만드는 대신 법정에서 정의가 진행되도록 내버려 두었을 것입니다. Netflix even made a 3-episode documentary solely on President Jung, presenting the unsubstantiated views of anonymous accusers claiming that President Jung had sexually assaulted them and featuring unverified documents and audio clips purporting to be evidence. These anonymous accusers and unverified documents were never introduced in court as evidence and are precisely the kinds of inadmissible evidence that would prejudice court proceedings. Worse still, they included a forged audio clip (see here, here, here, here, and here for forensic evidence showing how the audio clip was manipulated and eyewitness evidence of the truth behind the real audio clip) and other fabricated material (see here, here, and here). Objective material evidence such as the accuser’s text messages, diary entries, and video recordings of the accuser’s behaviour instead disprove the accuser’s claims (see here and here). Netflix has no justifiable motive for publishing such unverified material. The producer claims to want to reveal the truth and champion justice, but this is a lie as what he has in fact done is to republish falsehoods and interfere with an ongoing trial. If he genuinely cared about justice, he would have let justice take its course in the courtroom, instead of making it into a spectacle on the social media.
이러한 선정적인 언론의 공격은 대중들이 정 총재를 따르는 사람들의 신원, 이름, 직업, 사진을 공개하고, 심지어 스토킹과 프레임 씌우기를 하여 그들이 일자리를 잃게 할 정도로 큰 공분을 일으켰습니다. 정 총재 측 증인들 중 일부는 이름과 직업이 세간에 알려지고 정 총재를 위해 증언했다는 사실이 전 세계가 알게 되는 수준의 사회적 파장을 우려해 증언 결정을 철회하기도 했습니다. 검찰총장은 아직 정 총재의 유죄가 입증되지 않았음에도 엄청난 형량이 선고되도록 최선을 다하겠다는 대국민 담화까지 낼 정도로 여론의 압박이 컸습니다(기사15 참고). 이렇게 엄청난 여론의 압박 속에서 과연 정 총재가 무죄라고 해도 어떤 판사가 감히 정 총재에게 무죄를 선고할 수 있을까요? 그렇게 판결을 내릴 용기가 있는 사람이라면 그게 누가 됐든 부패 혐의를 받게 되고, 전 국민의 분노에 직면할 것이며, 그의 경력, 명성, 사생활이 위태로울 것입니다. 재판이 진행되기도 전에 이미 언론의 영향을 많이 받은 상황에서 이렇게 편파적인 언론 보도가 있는데 어떻게 공정한 재판이 있을 수 있겠습니까? 미국에서 그랬던 것처럼 대중의 압력이 가라앉은 후에 전면적인 재심이 이루어져야 합니다. These sensationalistic media attacks caused such a huge public uproar that members of the public began doxxing President Jung’s followers by disclosing their identities, names, jobs, pictures, and even stalking and flaming them, causing them to lose their jobs (see here, here, and here). Some of President Jung’s witnesses even withdrew their decision to testify on his behalf for fear of the social repercussions, since their names and jobs would be made known to the public and the whole world would know that they had testified for President Jung, opening them up to criticism. The public pressure was so huge that the Attorney General even made a public statement stating that he would do his best to ensure a tremendous sentence even though Jung has yet to be proven guilty (see here). Under such tremendous public pressure, which judge would possibly dare to acquit President Jung, even if President Jung was innocent? Anyone with the guts to do so would certainly be accused of corruption (which is relatively common here in Korea), face the wrath of the entire nation, and have his whole career, reputation, and privacy at stake. With such biased media reporting, how can there possibly be a fair trial, when the outcome is already heavily influenced by the media before the trial even made headway? There ought to be a full retrial carried out after the public pressure has subsided, just as how it has been done in the US.
4. 비밀 자료의 부당한 공개 Wrongful disclosure of confidential documents
분쟁을 타협하고 해결하기 위한 목적으로 만들어진 문서와 협상은 사적이고 비밀스러워야 하며, 그러기에 언론에 공개되는 것은 물론 제3자에게 제공되어서는 안 된다는 것은 정의의 오랜 원칙입니다. 이런 협상과 합의의 과정을 비밀로 하지 않으면 협상 과정에서의 신뢰는 완전히 무너지고 협상과 합의는 결렬될 것이기 때문입니다. 과거에 화해 합의를 한 적이 있는 모든 피고인들은 합의는 하였음에도 그 해당 범죄를 실제로 저지른 혐의로 기소되거나 처벌되기도 하였는데, 이는 실상 분쟁 해결과 종식이라는 화해의 전체 목적을 위반하는 것이 됩니다. 또한 당사자들은 서로를 유인하여 합의를 시도한 다음 상대방이 불리하게 말하는 것을 자기한테 유리하게 사용할 수 있습니다. 이러한 모든 행위는 합의 과정에 도움이 되지 않으며, 소송만 조장할 뿐입니다. It is a long-standing principle of justice that documents and negotiations made for the purposes of compromising and settling disputes are private and confidential, and should not be disclosed to any third party, let alone published on the media for the world to see. This is because, if such settlements and negotiations are not made confidential, it would completely destroy the trust placed in the process of negotiations and lead to a breakdown of the criminal negotiation and settlement process. All accused persons in history who have ever entered into a settlement agreement could be accused of having actually committed the crime for which they had settled, which defeats the entire purpose of settlement which is to resolve and end the dispute. Parties can also lure each other into an attempted settlement and then use whatever they say against them. All these are not conducive to the settlement process and would only encourage litigation.
정 총재의 2023년 재판에서 언론은 정 총재의 변호인이 작성한 합의문 초안을 유출하는 등 이런 기본적인 비밀유지 원칙을 어겼습니다. 언론은 정 총재의 변호인이 화해 합의서를 작성했다는 점을 이용해 정 총재의 범행이 유죄라는 누명을 씌웠습니다. In President Jung’s ongoing case, the media had breached this fundamental rule of confidentiality by leaking a draft settlement agreement that had been prepared by President Jung’s lawyer. The media has used the fact that President Jung’s lawyer drafted a settlement agreement to frame President Jung as being guilty of the offences.
이는 비윤리적이고 비밀유지 원칙 위반이라는 사실 이외 언론의 논리와 전제도 허술하기 짝이 없습니다. 우선, 합의문은 정 총재가 서명한 적이 없고 변호인이 작성한 초안에 불과했습니다. 정 총재는 범행을 인정하지 않고 있습니다. 둘째, 피고인이 사실상 무죄라고 하더라도 합의서는 여러 이유로 작성되기도 하고 또 그렇게 합의 체결되기도 합니다. 합의는 피고인의 명예와 사생활을 보호하고 전체 재판을 거치는 데 드는 시간과 비용을 절약할 수 있는 신속하고 빠른 문제 해결로 이어집니다. 그러므로 피고인들은 비록 그들이 무죄일지라도 그러한 타협에 도달하기를 원할 수 있습니다. 피고인들은 실제로 무죄임에도 불구하고 소송에서 승소할 가능성이 높지 않다고 생각하는 경우(언론의 편견이나 기타 외부 요인 등으로 인해) 합의서를 작성할 수 있습니다. 합의는 법적으로 권리를 집행할 권리가 있다 하더라도 그 법적 권리를 엄격하게 집행하는 대신 가능한 한 상대방과의 호혜적인 관계를 유지하고 그 중간 어딘가 합의 지점에서 서로 만나는 방법이기도 합니다. 따라서 화해 합의서가 작성되거나 체결되었다고 해서 피고인이 반드시 유죄인 것은 아니며, 피고인의 유죄 여부를 결정함에 있어 법정에서 참작되어야 할 사실도 아닙니다. In addition to the fact that this is unethical and a breach of confidentiality, the media’s logic and premise is fallacious. First of all, the settlement agreement was never signed by President Jung and was only a draft prepared by his lawyer. President Jung never admitted to the offences. Second, settlement agreements are drafted and/or entered into for various reasons, even if the accused person is in fact innocent. Settlement agreements lead to an expeditious and quick resolution of the matter, which would protect the accused person’s reputation and privacy, and save his time and expenses from going through an entire trial. Accused persons may thus wish to reach such a compromise even if they are innocent. Accused persons may also enter settlement agreements if they think that their chances of winning the litigation is not high (such as due to media prejudice or other external factors), even though they are in fact actually innocent. Settlement agreements are also a way to preserve relationships with the counterparty and meet each other halfway, instead of strictly enforcing one’s legal rights, even if one would have been legally entitled to enforce those rights. Therefore, the fact that a settlement agreement is drafted or entered into does not mean that the accused person is guilty, and it is also not a fact that should or can be taken into account in court in deciding whether the accused person is guilty.
안타깝게도 언론은 합의서 초안을 유죄로 인정하는 증거인 것처럼 부당하게 묘사했는데 이는 합의서의 역할에 대한 가장 두드러진 오해입니다. 설상가상으로 이러한 용납할 수 없는 증거가 언론에 공개되면서 정 총재에 대한 기존의 편견이 더욱 가중되고 진행 중인 재판 절차의 불공평이 심화되고 있습니다. Unfortunately, the media had unfairly painted the draft settlement agreement as being an acknowledgement of guilt, which is a misunderstanding of the role of a settlement agreement. Worse still, the media disclosure of such inadmissible evidence further exacerbates the already existing prejudice against President Jung, deepening the unfairness in his ongoing proceedings.
결론 Conclusion
만약 당신이 범죄로 기소된다면, 당신은 법정에서 재판을 받고 싶습니까, 아니면 소셜 미디어에서 재판을 받고 싶습니까? 자신이 원하지 않는 일을 남에게 하지 말라는 황금률을 잊어서는 안 됩니다. 방송사들이 정 총재의 입장이 됐다면, 정 총재가 구속되어 변호를 위해 목소리를 내지 못하는 상황에서 언론에 의해 재판에 회부하고 허위·검증되지 않은 보도로 무자비하게 공격하는 일은 하지 않았을 것입니다. 언론의 간섭으로 정 총재의 재판은 처음부터 끝까지 완전히 절차적 부당성에 시달렸기에 재심을 허락하는 것이 유일한 시정 방법입니다. 정의는 소셜 미디어가 아닌 법정에서 제공되고 이루어져야 합니다. 판결은 린치 폭도들이 아니라 공정한 절차를 견지하는 독립적인 판사가 내려야 합니다. If you were accused of a crime, would you want to be tried in a courtroom or on social media? One should not forget the golden rule to not do to others what one does not want done to oneself. If the broadcasting companies had put themselves in the shoes of President Jung, they would not have done what they did in putting President Jung on trial by media and mercilessly attacking him with false and unverified reports, at a time when he was in remand and unable to speak up to defend himself. As a result of the media interference, President Jung’s trial has been completely plagued with procedural injustice from the beginning to the end and the only fair redress is to grant him a retrial. ◎
“In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” tells about “Korean cults” and uncovers Jung Myung Seok’s evil deeds. (Picture / subtitle from Netflix)
The Netflix documentary “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” mainly speaks about “Korean cults” and introduces the deeds of 4 cult leaders. It sparked discussions as soon as it was released. Among them, there is a discussion that the new religious group founded by Jung Myung Seok (정명석), the Christian Gospel Mission, also known as Providence, has been sexually assaulting female believers. It is alleged that the victims are spread across many places, including Taiwan. In this regard, the Christian Gospel Mission Taiwan Providence Church issued a 4-point statement on the evening of today (8th), emphasizing that the female members of the Christian Gospel Mission have not been violated or selected to bathe together as reported by the media.
Taiwan’s Providence Church put forward a 4-point statement, refuting that the leader Jung Myung Seok had sexually assaulted Taiwanese women. (Picture / Recapitulated from Jung Myung Seok – Our Life Tutor Facebook)
【Full Statement of the Christian Gospel Mission – Taiwan】
The Christian Gospel Mission – Taiwan began to devote itself to the local development of Taiwan in 2009. It has worked hard to study, try and practice in the fields of sports, culture, art, and public welfare. However, it has become the focus of public opinion because of Netflix and media reports. Violence is an act of harm and destruction. It not only harms individuals, but also harms the harmony and stability of the entire society. It is really unbearable to see church members face threats of violent words and bear many attacks because of reports. We are against any form of violence!
In response to recent media reports, the Christian Gospel Mission made the following statement:
1. The female church members of the Christian Gospel Mission did not report being abused or choosing to bathe together in the media. When Next Magazine published the report in 2001, when a hundred female college students were victimized at National Chengchi University, and in 2005, when Apple Daily published a report on the sexual assault of thousands of people, there were no such incidents, no substantive evidence and no victim testimonies presented. “Nearly 100 people were victimized” and “1,000 people were sexually assaulted” are the speculations of Next Magazine and Apple Daily. The School Safety Center of the Ministry of Education, in accordance with its responsibilities, stated in the letter No. 0940180806 dated January 11, 1995, that on October 15, 1994, the School Safety Center affiliated with high school vocational schools and tertiary institutions was asked to know whether any related incidents occurred on campus. So far, no school has reported any incident of victimization of students as described by the media.
2. Mr. Jung Myung Seok, the founder of the Christian Gospel Mission, was tried in South Korea courts in 2009. Due to disputes over the existence of witnesses and physical evidence, the Korean Civil Affairs Monthly published one article, “Jung Myeong Seok’s Cross: Why and for Whom?” (Article in Chinese)
I hope everyone can examine whether the trial of the case in 2009 is really uncontroversial. In the past 14 years, the Christian Gospel Mission has worked hard to show our accurate selves and our church life, and we want more people to know us not just through the claims in the media. However, because of the case in South Korea, we are constantly being questioned.
3. I hope that the media can respect the right of privacy and the freedom of religious belief of the faithful. Because the media went to the church without permission to take pictures and disturb the personal life of the faithful, it has seriously affected the rights and interests of the faithful. I hope that the public can give the faithful space with respect. This includes the recent concert held by the “Peace Symphony Orchestra and Choir” in order to promote social care, so that people who are alienated from society and themselves due to technology advances can feel the mood conveyed by the creator through music. Instead, the people involved in this choir are being stigmatized and threatened with violent attacks. I hope that the general public will not blindly follow such claims and arbitrarily forward speculative words to encourage the spread of violence.
4. The Christian Gospel Mission sincerely apologizes to the scholars and social figures who were implicated by this media report. I also thank scholars and social leaders for giving advice in academic exchange activities. I hope that everyone can respect academic exchanges and legitimate public communication, and not use public opinion to influence the lives of scholars and social leaders.
The Christian Gospel Mission is a legal religious organization deeply rooted in Taiwan. We hope that social rumors will subside and end, and we will continue to work hard for Taiwan. May God bless this beautiful island.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the religious organization “S,” that caused the second wave of spread of COVID in South Korea, became an issue. As a result, national resistance to heretical religious groups exploded along with resistance to Christianity. On the internet, I Am Jesus, a parody of I Am a Singer, which was a composite of religious leaders calling themselves “the Second Coming Jesus,” was circulating.
Among them was Pastor Jung Myeong-seok (founder of Christian Gospel Mission, so-called JMS). Why is President Jung Myung-seok, who has lived the life of a “religious/faithful bride of Jesus,” being treated as a “self-proclaiming Second Coming Jesus”? Is it because human nature seeks stimulation? Instead of the Word of God that resolves life’s problems, or wholesome and touching stories, the propagating power of stimulating rumors and criticizing content is much more overpowering.
This time on Netflix, a documentary called In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal was aired and spread secondary and tertiary content, once again infringing on President Jung Myung-seok and CGM members. Hold on. Here you can just press the “Back” button, saying “Oh, this article was written by a JMS believer” or “You are a cult, so you shouldn’t speak,” but I hope you can read this until the end.
That “perspective” is repeated again
Actually, as a result of checking the main content of the program, I found out that the logic, flow, and information used to attack CGM are the same as before. Mr. K, the key figure of the opposing force who appears directly in the program, has continued to slander CGM with the same narrative since 1999 through SBS’ I Want to Know, MBC’s True Story Expedition in 2020, and JTBC in 2022. In President Jung Myung-seok’s sermon video, he distorted the audio and subtitles from “evangelize one out of ten [yeol-ai-ha-na jeon-do]” to “evangelize one woman [yeo-ja-ha-na joen-do],” and he did not hesitate to use only a portion of an audio recording of President Jeong Myung-seok to make a religious consultation with a [church] member in need sound like a sex crime.
And in 2023, through Netflix’s In the Name of God, using OTT (over-the-top) platform characteristics that are not restricted by broadcasting law, without hesitation, President Myung-seok Jeong and the CGM are portrayed in a sexual and provocative way.
This program is promoted by various media outlets as being objectively and credibly produced. However, it meticulously interprets the path that President Jung Myung-seok walked through one person’s one-sided logic and narrative, which is Mr. K’s. This path, which started with the Word of God that saves lives, is a history that Mr. K has never been a part of. Based on the malicious claims of those who left CGM and the one-sided allegations of the opposition, the broadcast only tarnishes this history as a “history that sexually seduces female believers.” It was done to the extent that I thought it was childish. There was no mention of how God’s words had resolved people’s life issues or how it solved Biblical questions. Instead, Mr. K himself is portrayed as an “apostle of justice who seeks to rescue those who had been harmed by President Jung Myung-seok.”
Video claims and contents: is all of it true?
On February 17th, CGM filed an application for an injunction to ban the broadcast, but the Court rejected it. “For past cases, they have cross-checked various materials such as videos and photos, and the part related to the ongoing criminal trial is in line with the plaintiffs’ statements since they have met and conducted interviews with the plaintiffs, so it is difficult to see them as false,” the Court described.
In the film, Mr. K’s argument, the tearful statements of the accusers, and the presented video and audio recordings of the female believers make people speculate, “President Jung Myung-seok really committed these crimes.” The reenactments also emotionally trigger the general public and induce them to believe that “this really happened.”
But are these allegations and contents true? It is unclear from where these materials were gathered, and whether they were really produced at the site where President Jung Myung-seok had allegedly violated the female believers. In particular, the full version and context should be clearly given for recordings that are offensive and shocking for viewers. Among the statements of the accusers in the actual film, there were many things that could be proven to be absolute lies.
In the Name of God may end up as a source of stimulation and entertainment (or discomfort) for the public. However, CGM, which has been quietly preaching the gospel and spreading a sound view of faith, will be undermined, and the damage to its image and members will be severe.
Currently, President Jung Myung-seok is undergoing the first trial, and no decision has been made yet. The process from the prosecution of Ms. M in 2022 to the arrest and trial of President Myung-Seok Jeong was not easy from the standpoint of CGM’s opposition. Although I cannot reveal the specific trial process and the circumstances of the accusers here, there were sufficient grounds to prove that Ms. M’s claims were false. Meanwhile, the accumulated negative public opinion led to the arrest of President Jung Myung-seok. In the Name of God is the culmination of that. The accusers, including Mr. K, appear to be trying to agitate public opinion on a global scale through In the Name of God in order to lead the trial in their favor.
It is often argued that broadcasting should be fair. However, it is difficult to come up with such good broadcasts. This is because the broadcaster’s circumstances, characteristics, and financial logic have no choice but to come into play. In particular, fair broadcasts are no fun. In a reality where few people seek the Word of God, to have content encompassing CGM’s wholesome nature and image that differ from its opposition’s claims would be meaningless from the standpoint of OTT, which pursues profit. In order to make content that sells well to the public, there is no choice but to compose content that is stimulating and R-rated.
In the Name of God is a concoction of CGM opposers who cause trouble for CGM and try to justify themselves by any means beyond logic, Netflix’s pursuit of profit, broadcast producers’ desire to succeed through an OTT platform, and the general attack of Christianity which condemns CGM as heretical. Anyone who consumes content should keep in mind that there will be a certain number of hidden agendas.
[Writing | G. jams ]
* This blog collects organized material on the main issues appearing in Netflix’s In the Name of God.
Some of them can be fully explained, but some have not been made into content due to the safety of CGM members.
Interview with the President of Christian Gospel Mission Jung Myung-seok
‘Wolmyeong-dong’ in Jinsan-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do is a holy place where 1.1 million people from 73 countries make pilgrimages every year in search of faith.
[Special interview with Chungcheong Herald Correspondent Kim Gwang-mu / Reporter Kwon Seong-ha]
“Sometimes he appears shining like a star.. At other times he appears as soft as the moon.. At other times he appears as dazzling as the sun.. He told me to write a poem. He made me a poet”
– From the poem ‘Who made me a poet’
It started with a saying that sounded like a legend. “There are so many beautiful flowers over that mountain.”
The young poet’s heart was filled with overflowing dreams. Secretly, I ran out of hope, gasping for breath. The poet’s life flowed like a river, and flowed like a drop of water on a blade of grass. As the snow melted and flowed on a spring day, the clouds flowed by. The place where the poems flowed is Wolmyeongdong, a mountainous village in Geumsan, Chungcheongnam-do.
The original name of Wolmyeongdong is ‘Dalbitgol’. Even though it was a mountainous area where less than ten households lived, the moon was exceptionally bright. 月明洞 is the name of the village in Chinese characters.
The beautiful flower that the poet dreamed of bloomed as the ‘gospel’ in Dalbakgol.
Wolmyeongdong (144-1 Seokmak-ri, Jinsan-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do) is a mysterious place. At first glance, it looks like any other mountainous area with a thick pine forest. However, when viewed from the sky, it looks like “Miwon Ja” took off her jacket exposing her red skin and navel.
Buildings such as stones and trees, water and waterfalls, lawns and temples evoke a passage from Dr. David Hawkins’ Homo Spiritus.
“It’s best to just keep doing your job and leave the rest to Providence. Then, God takes the last step.”
Another name for Wolmyeongdong is the Natural Temple. This is what the people of the Christian Gospel Mission (CGM) call it.
As Dr. Hawkins personally saw and wrote, Wolmyeongdong’s huge three-story building is beautiful and majestic. It is mysterious to see megaliths, which are likely to weigh several tons, standing vertically. Did God really move it?
President Jung Myung Seok (76 years old) said, “To say so would be a lie. Mowing grass in the valley, making volleyball courts to play with, and making potato fields have become training centers that come from all over the world. God works in secret. However, he gave only the words to make it beautiful, magnificent, and mysterious. I entrusted it to famous landscaping experts and they did the landscaping for my home. It was beautiful and grand, but it was not mysterious to anyone looking at it. So I asked him to stack several tons of stones vertically. Then he shook his head and left. It has been raining for a full week, and in prayer, I heard the words, ‘You should build it up.’”
Wolmyeongdong’s huge three-fold image is beautiful and majestic. It is ‘mystical’ as if the gods had moved it to see the megaliths, which are likely to weigh several tons, standing vertically.
“I didn’t know how to build it, so it kept falling apart. As amateurs, we only knew how to put stones on the soil, so there was no way it could be done. But after it collapsed five times, it was built on the sixth. Even though the rocks have collapsed, our hearts have not. It was accomplished as God’s Providence had envisioned. So, in the end, God moved it.”
I was curious about the word “Providence”. It seemed to mean something beyond the principles and laws that govern our lives and phenomena in the natural world.
“Providence is God’s will. My humble hometown, my humble and pitiful hometown was created according to the plan (as it is now) because of God’s will. Now, everyone who sees it admires it, and a lot of people come to see it. I am stunned when I see everyone (laughs).”
In fact, Wolmyeongdong is a training center that gathers all kinds of missionaries.
For over 10 years, President Jung Myung Seok and his followers took shovels and carried soil and stones to complete the project. The paths in each valley of the training center are all paths created by God’s will.
At that time, President Jung said, “To pave the road (길) is to pave the way (도). It is difficult to make a road on a mountain, but how difficult would it be to create the ‘true road’ of life?” This proverb is still being talked about.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1.1 million people visited Wolmyeongdong training center annually. Devotees and visitors naturally come into contact with Geumsan’s special product, ginseng.
In fact, the memories of the three World Geumsan Ginseng Expo held in 2006, 2011 and 2017 are vivid in the minds of the people of Geumsan. At that time, a whopping 30,000 members of the Christian Gospel Mission from home and abroad traveled all over the Ginseng Expo.
At the 2019 Geumsan Ginseng Festival, many believers promoted the effect of ginseng and purchased it. The economic ripple effect estimated by the Geumsan-gun Office amounts to 100 billion won. It was also beautiful, majestic, and mystical that the people of Geumsan were the same.
Professor Max Weber’s ‘Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism’, who emphasized that religion has a great influence on the protection of individual freedom and property rights, comes to mind.
The Christian Gospel Mission in Wolmyeongdong is active not only in revitalizing the local economy, but also in community service activities to relieve the suffering of Geumsan residents, such as recovering from various floods.
Wolmyeongdong is very similar to Christian Gospel Mission. For about 10 years, CGM’s founder President Jung Myung Seok was imprisoned, but CGM grew bigger.
He spread the gospel to 73 countries around the world, including Japan, Taiwan, and the United States, and established megachurches in 200 cities across the country. This is unusual in the context of the decline of the Christian generation in Korean society.
The answer was concise. It is explained that this is because they preach and follow God’s ‘Absolute Word’ as it is. He also cited an increase in the number of logical young believers.
“People see the same thing differently. Even when Judas Iscariot died, some say that he was hanged, and in other Gospels, his intestines burst and he died. The same is true of the old debate about heresies. The Bible is 90% parables. Even if a new religion emerges, God is the same. Whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, it is God’s will that Jesus was born and preached the gospel, and that is the Word of the new age. If those words are right for the times, then we have to follow them. However, many religious leaders and theologians failed to do so. It is said that teaching according to the Bible is wrong. The younger generation is different. Religion and science must match. If God said it took only 6000 years to create the heavens and the earth, would the youth go to church? Students believe that something is true only when it is logical. It is difficult for the younger generation to accept the saying that salvation comes only by believing in the church. Everyone can be saved, but it is God’s Will that we are saved according to our deeds. God is not the only God of religion. He is the God of science, philosophy and art.”
In the same vein, this is the design that Wolmyeongdong and the training center will show the future. It is CGM’s calling to create a platform to develop the talents of the younger generation based on their faith.
God is not only a God of religion, but a God of all fields of society, culture, and art.
In fact, in Wolmyeongdong, various cultural and artistic activities such as Korean traditional music, orchestra, musical, theater, cheerleading, jazz dance, martial arts demonstration, and magic show, as well as sports club activities such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, table tennis, swimming, skiing, horseback riding, and mountain climbing are held throughout the four seasons. Volunteer activities such as cultural arts volunteering, visiting Kkottongnae, and volunteering at facilities for the disabled, are also plentiful.
“While serving in the Vietnam War as a soldier twice, I contemplated the essence of religion and the eternal truth at the boundary between life and death. Religion is a life, not a theory. It is listening to the Word and putting it into practice by loving God. I think the mission of Wolmyeongdong and the training center is to convey to the world the victory of faith in Korea that has been achieved through pastoral activities for the past 43 years. We will make Wolmyeongdong, which God envisioned, into a world-class park that embodies the world of religious harmony and peace. This is why people from all over the world come to Wolmyeongdong to believe in God.”
Christian Gospel Mission is putting God’s love and word into practice through various volunteer activities.
2021 has been an amazing and challenging year. While many had thought COVID-19 would be a thing of the past, new variants (Delta and Omicron) amongst other reasons caused COVID-19 to persist and even emerge more strongly in many parts of the world.
In spite of these challenges, the question the Trinity pose to us is – have you made yourself anew in body and spirit this year? This was the theme and direction from the Trinity this year, and Pastor Jung had also delivered many sermons – and led by example – on how we should change ourselves anew. Making Wolmyeongdong in new ways, giving thanks in new ways, praying at even higher levels, holding services in refreshing new hybrid ways…. these are just some examples of how Providence has changed in new ways.
Just as important is how each one of us has changed in new ways. It is easy to blame COVID-19 for not being able to do things better, but this is an opportunity for us to do things in new ways. Every crisis is an opportunity, and the bigger the crisis, the bigger the opportunity. Let’s change our perspectives towards the challenges of COVID-19 and find those opportunities to do things in new ways!
This Christmas, God’s creation continues to give Glory to God through their magnificence and beauty. God also shows himself through nature to all of us. Nature continues to make itself anew daily, in an amazing cycle of life. May we celebrate Christmas with Jesus who came to this world to save us, so that we may live renewing ourselves in a Godly manner everyday, just as nature does.
Enjoy these breathtaking pictures taken by our members, reflecting God through nature.
With the spirit of peace, heartwarming soccer games took place.
<PineNews 14 May 2019> More than 300 local churches from the Youth Union of Korean Churches, part of Christian Gospel Mission (CGM), were gathered at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on 12 May to hold the 2019 International Peace Soccer Tournament. With the cheering from more than 40,000 CGM members, the atmosphere at Daejeon World Cup Stadium became even more vibrant than the 2002 World Cup.
Around 200 international players from 14 countries, including Korea, Canada, Hongkong, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and more than 2,000 cheering supporters were present. The matches of the 2019 International Peace Soccer Tournament were played with ‘Peace’ as the motto and with a sincere hope of the complete termination of all wars in the world. A continuous presence of a thick cloud cover over the stadium provided radiative cooling throughout the day.
The event began with a joint Sunday Service. It was followed by the opening ceremony, the semifinals, the finals, and the closing ceremony. During the Sunday Service, President Jung Myung Seok said, “The greatest blessing in human life is loving and serving God, brothers and sisters.”
During the opening ceremony of the 2019 International Peace Soccer Tournament, the Peace Cheering Group presented a performance that involved a large soccer ball with the words ‘Peace Soccer’ engraved. Leading on from that performance, large banners with drawings of an eagle and a cheetah each holding a soccer ball unfolded over the 2,000 performers.
President Jung said, “Peace soccer isn’t all about winning. It aims to promote the spirit of peace. Regardless whether you are in a team that has won or lost, let’s play peaceful matches with excitement.” He further mentioned, “Soccer isn’t just a sport. It is an artwork created by 11 players through harmonizing. I hope that today can be the day when you can show your skills to your fullest.”
After the preliminary rounds, the teams that qualified for the semi-finals were: Focus, Tiger, Cheetah, and Lion (Overseas Alliance Team). The teams performed thrilling matches. The final match was between Focus and Cheetah. Focus became the final victors from the breathtaking finals. A professional athlete from the Focus team who had been interviewed said, “With the spirit of faith in God, my team and I encouraged each other when playing the matches. I had a good time, having more fun than playing in a regular league game.” President Jung led and encouraged the tournament by playing with all the teams.
Without a doubt, the International Peace Soccer Tournament displayed the spirit of peace. During the matches, players lent their hands to the fallen opponents to help them get back on their feet. It was heartwarming to see how players encouraged other players who missed opportunities to score a goal by patting on their shoulders. The crowds also cheered for every single team. Whenever a goal was scored, everyone at the tournament became ecstatic and joyous.
A university student, Kim Heechan, mentioned, “It was awe-inspiring to see how people were in harmony through soccer regardless of their race, gender and culture.” Yang Jeesoo, who attended the tournament as a member of the cheering squad, said, “it was very charming to see the cheering squad cheering for all of the teams and players contrary to the usual cheering squads, who cheer for their team, their country and their favourite players only. Also, it was very fascinating to see how the players played the matches with delight and enthusiasm.
One of the staff mentioned, “We hope the spirit of peace shown through the International Peace Soccer Tournament will spread to all over the world, so that there will be no more wars, fighting and hatred. Young people will work harder to fulfil the true peace on this earth. Please look forward to the International Peace Soccer Tournament, which will be held annually.”
“2019 Rock Gemstone Festival” picture of brass band performing as part of the opening ceremony
[PINENEWS, reported by Hong Hwayeon] The Rock Gemstone Festival was held during the autumn season. It aimed to provide healing and solace for people who are tired of their busy daily lives, and attracted visitors.
Christian Gospel Mission (CGM, led by President Jung Myung Seok) held the 5th Rock Gemstone festival on 28 September 2019 at Wolmyeongdong Retreat Centre (aka. Wolmyeongdong). The festival lasted for 9 days, commencing with an opening ceremony, and ended on 6 October.
Wolmyeongdong is an attractive destination for both domestic and international tourists, due to its world-class stone landscape, ponds, giant waterfalls, grass lawns, dense pine forests and the top notch Korean mineral natural water. This place has been made known by people through word of mouth and the ‘Gemstone Rock Festival’ has become a global festival after its continuous development.
Since 1990, President Jung Myung Seok and CGM members have been making the beautiful, majestic and amazing world-class rock landscape in Wolmyeongdong. As part of the Rock Gemstone Festival, a 360 degrees rock landscape, formed by around 2,000 beautiful and amazing rock masterpieces, was presented to the audience.
Contrary to the weather forecast, the 28th of September, when the opening ceremony was held, had a deep clear autumn sky. Even though it was only the first day of the festival, more than 3,000 international tourists from Asia, including Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hongkong and 5,000 visitors from Korea came. A line of small but charming stone towers, made up of two piled rocks each, greeted the visitors as they walked along both sides of the 100m long path from the entrance of Wolmyeongdong to the pond.
The opening ceremony began with a friendly soccer match between Taiwan, Hongkong, Malaysia and Singapore. Later at 10am, the Sunrise Art troupe performed on the beautiful celebratory stage to the bright and humorous tunes of a 200-member brass band, receiving a big round of applause from the audience.
Visitors viewing the ornamental rock works at the Rock Gemstone Festival.
Jung Myung Seok, president of CGM, delivered the congratulatory speech and said, “There are masterpiece landscapes that are made by God’s design. Just like the inscription on the headstone (which reads), ‘designed by God, inspired by Holy Spirit, protected by Jesus Christ, and actions were taken by my disciples and I’, All the rock art works here in Wolmyeongdong are made and put up by God’s design. I hope all of you will enjoy your time here, and make unforgettable memories as you listen to the stories each rock gemstone has with God”.
At this year’s festival, President Jung had put in efforts to plant 11 pine trees and adorn the rocks. One can see hundreds of giant pine trees and even a 350 years old ‘pine tree masterpiece’ bonsai.
Visitors viewing the ornamental rock works at the Rock Gemstone festival.
The ‘1000 year Ornamental Rock Group’, consisting of domestic ornamental rock experts, is also having another exhibit. More than 100 pieces of rocks were exhibited, including 50 ornamental rocks that President Jung Myung Seok had found along the riversides through spiritual inspiration, and other rocks owned by the ‘1000 year Ornamental Rock Group’. Shapes and pictures that are carved on the stone by nature made the visitors speechless. The images of a human face, a woman, a smiling face, a bride, a mother, an eagle, a cheetah, a lion, a crane, and a palm tree immerse the viewers in nature’s amazing artistic touch.
The poem exhibition that was held during Gemstone Rock Festival.
The ‘poem exhibition’ that was held around the ambitious masterpiece rock landscape was also very popular among visitors.
Park (alias) from Seoul who visited the festival stated, “It was delightful to observe the stonewall walkway on the way to Wolmyeongdong. I was amazed to see how small rocks were carefully balanced and piled up, as if they were all stuck together permanently. I had thought they were bonded together using glue.”
Visitors from Asia who attended Rock Gemstone Festival purchasing ginseng products from Geumsan Ginseng Festival.
Visitors who attended the Gemstone Rock Festival also attended the Geumsan Ginseng Festival that was being held nearby.
The place where the Geumsan Ginseng Festival was held was bathed in yellow from shirts worn by visitors from Asia. International visitors and domestic visitors showed great interest towards ginseng, and crowded across the ginseng market and ginseng medicinal herb market streets.
The Governor of the Geumsan region, Mr Moon Jeongsoo, expressed his thankfulness towards the visitors by stating, “Geumsan is the home of Goryeo ginseng. Your interest towards Geumsan ginseng, which is one of the greatest foods for well-being with more than 1,500 years of history, is greatly appreciated”.
Every year, more than 1.18 million people visit Wolmeongdong to see its beautiful scenery.
2020 has been a challenging year for the entire world. The COVID-19 pandemic has tragically taken many lives and affected even more livelihoods.
Yet, Pastor Jung Myung Seok still behooves us to give even more thanksgiving and glory to the Trinity. Surely that is difficult – if we have lost loved ones, jobs, friendships… but that is truly what it means to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Yes, the road ahead is still uncertain, like walking through the mist. Even with news of the vaccines, there are news of the mutating variants of COVID-19 as well. The winter cold in the northern hemisphere brings about better conditions for the disease to thrive – making it a bittersweet white Christmas.
But what problem can be too big for our God? Instead, let us give thanks and glory, and God will surely hear our earnest prayers. Today, as we celebrate Christmas, may we remember that Jesus our Messiah was born in the midst of cruel hardships – the threat of death and without a proper place to be born. Yet, he overcame all and brought salvation to all mankind. We too will surely be victorious if we remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Providence Hub 