Tag: jeong myeong seok

Why did Netflix’s “In the Name of God” JMS Christian Gospel Mission Documentary Come Out?

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(Original article in Korean: 넷플릭스 ‘나는 신이다’ JMS 기독교복음선교회 편, 왜 나왔을까?)

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. 

[PineNews] ‘2019 International Peace Soccer Tournament’, Re-enactment of the 2002 World Cup Fever, Made more than 40,000 Viewers Ecstatic.

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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.” 

Original Article | Archive

[PineNews] Christian Gospel Mission ‘2019 Rock Gemstone Festival’ … A Great Success

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“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.

Original Article | Archived Original

An American’s Testimony of Pastor Jung Myung Seok

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Shaun McMillan, a professional animator and game designer from the United States of America, shares a testimony of Pastor Jung Myung Seok, whom he calls teacher or “son saeng nim” in Korean.

Despite tribulations, why did Shaun believe in Pastor Jung’s teachings about the Trinity and why does Shaun continue to preach the word of Providence in his daily life?

Hear his heartfelt story.

Testimonies of Ordinary Members

Taiwan’s EB TV network featured the testimonies of ordinary members in CGM (Christian Gospel Mission).

Through the Word of God, numerous members testified of how they were transformed into unanticipated successes through the teachings and personal example of Pastor Jung Myung Seok.

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Taiwan’s BC TV network featured the testimonies of ordinary members in CGM (Christian Gospel Mission).

Through the Word of God, numerous members testified of how they were transformed into unanticipated successes through the teachings and personal example of Pastor Jung Myung Seok:

An unassuming man from a humble village background, achieved the nation’s Outstanding Electrical Engineer of the Year award.

A boy who lived in poverty later became a management consultant in the nation’s coveted Taiwan 101 at the age of 21.

An indigenous Taiwanese scholar from the Luantian tribe who testifies about his participant observation of Providence and Pastor Jung Myung Seok.

A female doctor who was healed of a rare immunity disease that debilitated her, after the prayers and personal guidance of Pastor Jung.

These testimonies reveal the truth of God’s working through Pastor Jung’s life, and the untruths of malicious media portrayals on CGM and Pastor Jung that exist today:

#providence religious movement, #providence church korea, #providence 30 lessons #jung myung seok

[Headline News] Christian Gospel Mission President Jung Myung Seok endeavors to spread the real truth

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[Headline News] Christian Gospel Mission President Jung Myung Seok endeavors to spread the real truth (Page 130, 131)

These days, Christianity in Korea is in need of a big paradigm shift like in the days of Copernicus in terms of the goals and direction the churches need to strive for, the Word given to them in the Bible and the responsibilities related to it, their sense for history, and the ability to discern between what is intrinsic and what is extrinsic. In this kind of situation, President Jung is attempting to present a new vision of Christianity that fits this time period.

Working during the day and studying at night, through the 30 years of his life of prayer, he received the Lord.

Normally people tend to consider what is concrete and visible as important, but intangible things can have tens or hundreds of times more importance than what is concrete. There are cases when something concrete and visible only gains meaning and displays its value when it gains an intangible quality, which exists invisibly. We have witnessed these cases over and over from biographies of saints and the philosophers of the world.

In order to actualize the gospel of Christianity on this earth, as a faithful worker or pastor, one does not need an academic degree, a title, or a fancy position.

Instead of these things, what one needs is the ability to take care of one’s flock of sheep better than anybody else, a more clear and precise understanding of the sheep’s pain, grief, and life joys and sorrows, time to spend with one’s sheep, and the ability to actualize an open heart of giving in one’s daily life. In terms of numbers, the size of christianity is grand to the point that you can see a cross–a sign of a church–every 10 blocks, but the doctrine of christianity is losing its light and is in a situation similar to the high priest Eli whom God left. At this time when people are wondering about truth, President Jung’s message that illuminates the truth in a new way is very convicting.

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Christian Gospel Mission President Jung Myung Seok

The ultimate reason religion exists is to lead human beings to a better way of living and teach people to embrace socially neglected classes of people so that all members of society can live happily. President Jung is a person who realized himself, in the process of learning about his life of faith, that religion should not be just a prodigious theory but a lifestyle, and he worked to actualize this realization in his daily life.

He said, “I met Jesus in person during my extreme life of prayer, and while serving and loving him like a lover, I received wisdom and the truth behind how to serve the Heavens and save lives. My one and only teacher is Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit. I came to understand the way to testify about the Trinity and realized the deep heart of the Heavens by loving and serving God and Jesus solely with the mentality and thoughts of God and Jesus.”

When he became 33 years old in January 1978, President Jung wrapped up his ascetic life in the mountains and came down. He compiled the original notes that he wrote down from the Word that he received from the Heavens and made 120 pages of charts for months. That year, at the end of May, he packed the notes and the charts, went to Seoul, and devoted his ministry to evangelizing youths.

“We can’t deny that history has been changing according to the times. If Christianity in Korea blindly obeys the doctrine, which has become a dogma to them, while focusing on mysticism and the simple and blind ritualism of asking for blessings, disregarding religious essential truth, it can easily approach the general public, but it will not be able to save thisgeneration, save human beings’ spirits, nor help people take action upon the Will of God. In order to understand the Bible correctly, we have to interpret the parables in the Bible correctly. Once the parables are interpreted correctly, the secrets of the Heavens and the purpose of God’s creation, and furthermore, the purpose of life can be understood. Christian churches view the Bible with an incorrect perception. They interpret the Bible in a singular and literal way, being bound to its doctrine without considering the pertaining time period or science. That’s why they cannot properly interpret the Bible, which was written with symbols and parables,” Jung said.

Through his sermons, he quenches the spiritual thirst of the young generation.

“God is not the one who is confined within the frame of religion. He is the god of religion, the god of science, the god of philosophy, the god of literacy, and the god of art. He is the god of everything. That is why the true truth has to make sense not only religiously but also scientifically and philosophically,” he explained.

Within the short time period of 25 years, the Christian Gospel Mission has grown rapidly into a ministry organization where 200,000 young people have gathered, and they have currently spread the gospel to 50 nations. The Mission said that the deciding factor of their achievements thus far is President Jung’s open view of religion and the world. Its success hinged on this point.

“Jesus took care of the sick and the poor. Healing the sick and looking after the poor was originally my job and mission. This work always has to be done with a thankful, grateful, and joyful heart. What I mean is that I did not suffer from doing it. It was my duty. Even in the future, I will keep taking care of the sick and those who are hurt. This is the mission I have during this time,” President Jung said.

He keeps the absolute commision, “While we are alive, we should make Heaven on earth” and takes it beyond the logic of salvation, which is, “Let’s believe God and go to Heaven after death.”

During his ascetic life, he went through so many situations and difficulties. During the process, he heard voices from the Heavens, received inspirations and word related to life, and realized many things personally, and he has been spreading the gospel and leaving it etched in history through his writings and drawings.

At a big evangelism rally, a publication party for The Book of Salvation, which President Jung wrote while he was abroad, was held at the Wolmyeongdong retreat center on May 29. The essence of salvation is broken down in the book for readers to understand easily. Some reviews stated that the book was so fun to read while touching on profound truths that once the readers started to read, they couldn’t let go of the book.

Even though he has never received professional art education, with the inspiration that he has received from the Heavens and the talent that he was born with, his art pieces transcend existing styles of art. You can see examples of his paintings displayed at the Gusang Art Gallery in Wolmyeongdong. He is also active in creating cultural exchanges as a chairman of the Global Peace and Cultural Union.

A painting that President Jung drew

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Fate (September 1998, Painted on a 97cm x 130cm canvas made from Korean paper)

This painting was drawn when Jung received an inspiration that brushed by his mind. The allegorical expressions relayed skillfully by the power of a brush stroke contains powerful messages. A snail is trying to climb up a cliff in the painting. He falls from the cliff but does not give up and climbs up again, and when he falls again, he climbs up again. After several attempts, he barely makes it to the peak and shouts, “Ah! I’ve finally made it.” However, just as he was about to take a rest, a stork walks up to him from behind and says, “Jackpot!” and goes to peck at him to eat him. This painting depicts the moment that determines the snail’s destiny.

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Eyes that look for the righteous (September 1998, Painted on a 97cm x 1.30cm canvas made from Korean paper)

The painter depicted the image of God’s face with clouds in the sky, and conveyed the feeling within God’s eyes, which show that he is searching with fiery eyes for the righteous to see if there is even one righteous man in the world. The background is drawn symbolically: from the right to the left, you can see Namdaemun*, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, chimneys of factories, the Trade Center, the 63 building, the Twin Towers, a sun village* where wealthy people live, and a moon village* and a milky way village* where poor people live, which are located on the very top of a mountain and the closest to the sky. Also, in front of Namdaemun*, there are people who are worshiping idols before steles. The idol worshiper who is dark and has a tail is a monkey, which conveys the idea that idol worshippers are inferior than animals. It is the eyes of God, the Divine Being, who is anxiously looking for the righteous in the world.

(Translator’s note:

* In Korean, “sun village” is a name that is used to define an area where wealthy people live, and “moon village” and “milky way village” are names that are used to define an area where poor people live. Usually, moon and milky way villages are located high up on mountains since the price of those areas are cheap.

* Namdaemun is the Southern Great Gate of Seoul.)

Headline News June 2005 Pg 130, 131 Original Article | Translated

[News Wave] Poet Jung Myung Seok officially chosen as a poet in Korea’s 100 years of poetry

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Introduced in ‘The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry’, page 2717

‘Poet Jung Myung Seok is someone who has opened his eyes to the mysterious and profound wonders of the world created by the Creator. He discovered the law of creation, which states that nature is like human beings, and human beings are like God. In his poems, he ties together and connects a variety of difficult concepts [within this theme]. Then he gains the power to embrace both heaven and earth. He pursues an ideal world and at the same time, reveals [in his poem] his strong will to maintain his optimism and endure his difficult life.

Along with 3500 others, President Jung Myung Seok of Christian Gospel Mission is a believer of God who lives only for the sake of saving lives, and was recently recorded in a larger, revised edition of ‘The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry,’ which represents 100 years of the history of poetry in Korea (1908 ~ 2010).

The book made the evaluation that Poet Jung views the essence of nature from the perspective of the Creator’s law of creation. He was also described as someone who binds the love of Heaven and Earth through his world of poetry.

Especially through the following appraisal [of Jung], it was acknowledged that he has penetrated both the world of God and the world of reality: ‘His sincere world of poetry expresses a love of praising Heaven and love of embracing the broken Earth. His literature creates hope and harmony for modern people whose lives lack a balance between reality and ideals.’

Poet Jung’s name was recorded on page 2717 of The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry, published last March.

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Page 2717 of The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry

In this book, Jung was introduced as a poet and ten of his poems were introduced, such as ‘Narrow mind,’ ‘Life,’ ‘Our love,’ ‘Movement of the cloud,’ ‘Never-changing heart,’ ‘Hope,’ as well as others.

In his poem ‘Hope’, he sings of true happiness and hope that is gained only by someone who has overcome difficulties and has been trained in perseverance.  He also reveals the deep truth of life and initiates deep thoughts within the reader.

Happiness goes/even in a blizzard /life winter// Happiness goes/in the thorny field/even in a bone-aching life/of hardship and difficulty//Happiness/doesn’t want to give herself to anyone/she takes the painful road/that creates struggle//Hope too/doesn’t want to live with anyone/it looks for and goes to one/who endures and perseveres//

Poet Jung Myeong-seok’s book, ‘Spiritual Poem’, became a best seller in 1989. He officially became a poet through ‘the Munyesajo (Literary Movements and Trends) Writers Association’ in 1995, and had the spotlight shone on him in the world of Korean poetry and literature.

Since then, Poet Jung has never slackened in his writing of poetry as he releases between three to five poems every month. He has now released around 3,000 poems. He has written around 30,000 proverbs of wisdom that he received through his life of faith and, among them, 6,000 proverbs were published in six books (Heaven’s Words, My Words).

The large, revised version of ‘The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry’ shows 100 years of the history of Korean poetry at a glance. It includes all the poets [of the 100 years], from the early poets in the history of Korean poets (Choi Nam-seon, Lee Yuk-sa, Lee Sang-wha, Jung Ji-yong), to the most recent poets (Jung Hyun-jong, Cheon Yang-hee, Hwang Dong-gyu). [The book includes poetry from] poets who have deceased, poets who were lost due to being kidnapped to North Korea or defecting to North Korea, and poets who are still alive.

Article published on Newswave, 7 June 2006 Original | Archived

2013 Seoul Literature Award: Poet Jung Myung Seok

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Seoul Literature Publications

Report No. 305-2014-0000036

2013 Seoul Literature Award Winner: Poet Jung Myung Seok

Jung Myung Seok 2013 Most Beautiful Person Seoul Literature Prize Winner.jpg

Poet Jung Myung Seok has never given up his life of composition, even in his current most inadequate environment, but has sublimated his misfortunes into happiness by challenging himself endlessly with hope. That is why the board committee of The Most Beautiful People of 2013 from Seoul Education Broadcasting highly appraised his passionate creative writing activities and nominated poet 1178 Jung Myung Seok as The Most Beautiful Person of 2013. His heart for life beats and surges like a wave throughout his compositions and within the merit of his missionary works.

The Selection Committee of The Most Beautiful Person of 2013

How he was nominated: This year poet Jung Myung Seok published two volumes of the series, Poems of Inspiration– The Woman of Poetry and Speaking Through Poetry. Since he has a wide circle of readers, both of his books made records as weekly bestseller at Kyobo Book Centre. Despite being imprisoned currently in Daejeon prison, we found that his fervor for literary creative writing has transcended his confinement; he has been writing almost as many pages as one book every week.

There are many people who have different views towards Jung. However, from a literary point of view, the diction Jung uses in his poems is unique, and at this time when poetry is already being considered a dead literary genre, Jung has engrossed himself in only writing poetry instead of essays or novels and has written thousands of poems thus far. Among those poems, he selected some of his works and published them into two books. In the future, we hope that more budding poets will be born from many other places so that poetry will resurrect again from its current state of depression in Korean literature. With that anticipation, we have nominated poet Jung Myung Seok as The Most Beautiful Person in 2013.

Furthermore, Jung has established a very special theory on psychoanalysis. In contrast to Carl Jung’s theory of dream interpretation, he has proven the reality of dreams empirically. His theory is known as the soul entity theory, which uses psychoanalysis to interpret the way dreams reflect reality. Although dreams reflecting reality is already widespread, his theory of psychoanalysis is revolutionary. In his theory, dreams are the reality of the soul entity; just as we have a physical body in the physical plane, the soul entity of the brain surely exists.

Who is poet Jung Myung Seok?

Who is poet Jung Myung Seok? He was born in 1945, the year of the rooster. At that time, Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. Around the time when Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin were making an agreement on the 38th parallel at Yalta on the coast of the Black Sea in the Soviet Union on February 4, 1945, a boy was born in Wolmyeongdong (Dalbar-gol), Seokmak-ri, Jinsan-myeon, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. At that time, the district was not called Chungcheong Province but Jeolla Province. Poet Jung Myung Seok was the third son of Jung Pal Seong.

What kind of hope was there during the colonial period? Even at birth, Jung faced death. Because of his lack of immunity as a baby, he stopped breathing due to a certain disease. His mother-in-law kept nagging his mother to bury him quickly because it was an ominous sign, but his mother felt sorry for him. When she looked at her baby’s face, thinking that would be the final time she would ever see him, at that moment, he suddenly opened his eyes.

“Since he is still alive, let me have him for one more night…”

During that time, he had become unresponsive. His mother thought he had died after suffering from his high fever, so she laid him down at the corner of the room and covered him with a cloth. His mother was waiting for night to come so that she could try burying him discreetly at the back mountain. She wanted to see her son for the last time, the one whom she had given birth to with labor pains after 10 months, so she peered through the blanket. At that moment, he suddenly opened his eyes again. He wasn’t even crying. Jung spent three days like that. This miracle happened as his swelling subsided. That’s why his mom named him Myung* Seok because he seemed to have many lives. This is the childhood story of poet Jung Myung Seok.

(Translator’s note: Myung(命) is a Chinese character and means a life. However, later he changed his name to Myung(明), which means bright.)

Could the reason all his poetry is directly connected to life perhaps be because of what had happened in his childhood? Since he had experienced death at such a young age, during his adolescence, he often pondered deeply in solitude about life. Later on, while serving in the Vietnam War, he realized the value of life, the futility of life, and the fundamental world of God through first-hand experiences. He was able to live because of his mother’s love, which had compelled her to peer through the blanket to see her son’s face one last time, and so his affinity towards lives also stems from love.

The reason Jung’s poems are so good lies within their earnestness. His unquenchable earnestness towards what he is yearning for is carved deep into his poems like markings. When you see a flower, you can know about it by its fragrance. In the same way, all his poems give off a certain fragrance. Vol. 3 of his Poems of Inspiration titled, The Woman of Poetry, contained truly beautiful pieces. In order to understand the poet Jung Myung Seok, just as a work of art tells something about its author, reading his poetry yourself is the fastest and the most genuine way to get to know him.

Within Korean literary circles, there is a history book of literature known as The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry. Poet Jung is officially registered in the 2011 edition of The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry. On page 2717, readers can learn about him in a more detailed and genuine way. The fact that he is on page 2717 goes to show that The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry is a very thick history book of literature. It presents 100 years of Korean poetry history.

The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry was published by EJP Books, and Jung is in the 2011 edition. This book includes poems written by 3,500 poets who represent the history of Korean poetry from 1908 to 2010. The encyclopedia showcases ten of Jung’s poems; some of which include The Terrain of the Heart, Life, Good and Evil, Our Love, Operation, A Never-changing Heart, and Hope.

When you read his poem called Happiness is on Its Way, you can see how he depicts a deep aspect of life with simple yet meaningful diction.

Happiness is on Its Way (Full-version)

In life’s winter, where blizzards blow, there Happiness goes,

Even in a bone-aching life of anguish and suffering,

Happiness still goes on that thorny road.

Not permitting itself to just anyone,

It heads toward the path of pain, of man’s struggle.

Hope, also, not wishing to live with just anyone;

Seeking the one who endures, it goes.

Happiness and hope are surely abstract nouns. We cannot touch them and they don’t have specific forms. However, poet Jung describes happiness and hope as entities that exist and that are living. Happiness and hope are not abstract to Jung. He personifies them as entities that have a specific form. We wonder, how earnestly did he want happiness and hope to the point that he would portray their looks with such diction? When we look at his style of speech, the way he connects the verb, seeking, to the abstract nouns, we catch a glimpse of his bold transcendence of the existing grammatical rules in poetry. Of course, modern poetry is also highly influenced by free verse, so it is not bound by grammatic structure either.

Once again, we’d like to ask, who is poet Jung Myung Seok? Hearing from Jung directly about who he is would be the most genuine approach. However, written words are an expression of one’s heart. An art piece reflects the thoughts of its author, and an author speaks through his work. Likewise, Jung speaks directly through his work, one being The Woman of Poetry. What more words are needed? Who knows? During the times of our deepest despair, perhaps you will also be able to draw hope like finding an oasis in a desert through the words of his poetry.

Original | Archived | Translated

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Jung Myung Seok [Sisa News] (Transcript)

“More than simply going to heaven after death, we must create heaven on earth while we are still alive.” The goal of the Christian Gospel Mission, led by President Jung Myung Seok, is to create the ideal world on the earth.

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Jung Myung Seok

President of Christian Gospel Mission

Bringing love and peace in the world

through an open mind of religion and life

Among religious circles, especially in Christianity, the non-believing world is considered to be the “world” and the people that live in it as “worldly people.” In other words, the religious people call it the secular world and they are determined not to pursue the values of the secular world. Religions are charged with providing a deeper sense of value than the value system of the secular world. Despite that, a vast majority of religious people give off an air of being separate from the world they seek to save. In the mist of all these, the Christian Gospel Mission, led by President Jung Myung Seok, is gaining attention by walking in line with the people through a much more active method of ministry involving cultural exchange activities, community service, and a variety of other activities.

Proposing a new vision for the Christian gospel

What kind of an organization is the Christian Gospel Mission and what are its goals?

“More than simply going to heaven after death, we must create heaven on earth while we are still alive.” The goal of the Christian Gospel Mission is to create the ideal world on the earth.

Our goal is to bring to life the teachings of God that are written in the Bible through effort and hard work, in order to break free from the religious view which has become a prisoner to mythological interpretations. President Jung sees that the reason young people distance themselves from the church is because of the literal minded ministry methods of today’s Christianity. He points out that rather than teaching the words of God and Jesus, Christianity is much more focused on maintaining their organization. Our purpose is to break through these limitations and create churches in which the teachings of God and Jesus Christ are alive and well. Domestically, we have over 400 churches that have been established, and internationally, there are churches and 50 different nations with a total membership in the 200,000s. We are growing into a vibrant international organization.

Human beings are bundles of truth

What are the 30 principles that President Jung realized?

The 30 principles is a product of organizing the words he received from God through 30 years of extreme training and over 2,000 readings of the bible into 120 charts.

President Jung said that after realizing the truth, he realized that human beings were made in the image of God and that they were bundles of truth. However, as a result of the fall, they live ignorant lives having lost their sense of value.

When people hear the 30 principles, they not only find answers to their questions about the bible, all of their lives’ problems melt away like the melting snow. They will have satisfactory answers to the issues of fire, last days, rapture, purpose of creation and fall, and the secrets of the second coming.

The bible is a book written with parables and symbols

Then what would you say is the key point of the 30 principles?

During the 4,000 years of the Old Testament the Jews believed that in the Last Days God will come down on the clouds, judge the non-believers with fire, resurrect the Jews, and make the ideal world. Unfortunately, because of their faith in such things they rejected Jesus who came as the son of a carpenter and ultimately crucified him to death.

In the same way, today’s Christians believe in Jesus and believe that he will return in the Last Days. However, just as the Jews did, they believe that Jesus will return literally on the clouds, judge the people with fire, resurrect the physical bodies, and rapture people.

We can figure how the New Testament prophecies will be fulfilled by examining how the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament.

Many Christians believe that the prophecies in the Old Testament will be fulfilled at the Second Coming because they did not happen at the first coming. Matthew 11:13 tells us that all the prophets and the law were fulfilled with John the Baptist. This means that the prophecies about the Messiah’s advent the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus’ time.

The bible is a book written with parables and symbols. Just as clouds become purified through the process of evaporation caused by sunlight, the Jewish people who believed in God and obeyed the New Testament word were the clouds. Although Jesus appeared on such clouds 2,000 years ago, the Jewish people failed to realize that. Instead, they kept their eyes in the sky. That is why they failed to receive him.

The judgment of fire also isn’t literally a judgment of fire. The fire is a parable for God’s words of truth. (Luke 12:49, 2 Pet 3:7). The judgment of fire refers to all the physical and spiritual problems being solved through the words of truth in the Last Days. The earth will not be destroyed by fire in the Last Days.

The Last Days refer to the point of intersection between the end of the former times and the beginning of the new times. The transition point of history is the Last Days. Resurrection also happens in the same way. (Isaiah 29:19, Eze 37:12~, Dan 12:2~, 1 Thes 4:16~) The resurrection does not refer to the revival of dead bodies but to the resurrection of the times, resurrection of the domain, the resurrection of action.

John 5:24 shows that the resurrection refers to the renewal of a person’s spirit that happens when he/she believes that follows the Messiah. The rapture also doesn’t refer to being caught up in the clouds. The earth is in the air. Therefore, it refers to all history being fulfilled on the earth. We can discover the present by examining the past and discover the future by examining the present. History always repeats.

Instructions for salvation, “Words of Salvation”

Please describe the “Words of Salvation” written by President Jung

There are tens of thousands of books in the world but not one is properly written about salvation. That is why he wrote the book on salvation. It took 6 years to write. It took him over 20 years of struggling to realize the complete truth and receive the salvation of these times.

Originally, President Jung wanted to write about hell. He wanted to write a book that told people, “Hell is a terrible place. Therefore, don’t go there.” To convey that message, he wanted to write a detailed description of hell and then conclude with the message, “Therefore, believe in God so you will be spared from hell. And also believe in the Messiah.” But then, he heard a voice that told him, “do you think people go to hell because they don’t know that hell is a terrible place? They go to hell even though they know what it is like.”

Then he wanted to write about heaven. However, he heard a same voice tell him, “do you think people don’t go to heaven because they don’t know that it is a great place? Why are there so many people who’ve failed to go there? Everybody knows that heaven is a great place. The reason people don’t go to heaven is not because they don’t know.”

As a result of these voices, he thought a long time about what to write. Then he concluded, “Salvation is the only thing I can write about. If people receive salvation, they will go to heaven and avoid hell.” The salvation book is the book that he wrote as a result of those realizations.

This book is not just a book about salvation as a theory; it is a book written based on the salvation history God is making in the present time. That is why this book is so realistic. Because a book about salvation cannot be written unless Jesus teaches it to him, he had to pray deeper than he had prayed before and he had to write it with all his heart, will, and life. The salvation book can be seen as the instruction for salvation that God brings to this time period in a way that fits.

Contributing to world peace through cultural exchange

Please tell us about the various cultural exchange activities of Global Association of Culture and Peace.

God is not just a god of religion, but a God of arts and culture as well. We believe that culture and arts are gifts God gave to those He loves. Therefore, we focus on culture and arts activities to express thanksgiving to God. President Jung’s Global Association of Culture and Peace involves the Global Village Arts Festival, Asian Youth International Exchange, as well as various other activities. Every year, we support cultural exchange programs ranging from arts to sports.

The Global Association of Culture and Peace, which is an international civilian exchange organization, works to provide a place for people to understand each other through sports, arts, and various types of cultural exchange, transcending the limits of nationality and making world peace come true.

Beginning with the International Peace Soccer Competition that was held in August 1999, there have been a total of six additional soccer competitions including the one held at the World Cup soccer stadium in Daejeon from August 11th to 17th in 2002. During the 2002 World Cup that was co-hosted by Korea and Japan, our organization received recognition for finding ways to bring members from 35 nations together transcending religions and ideologies.

Realizing the value of life amidst gunfire

There has to be some motivation for President Jung to create an international organization like this.

President Jung entered the military at a young age and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He tells us that it was during those times that he realized the terror of death and the meaninglessness of life. He felt it deep down in his bones. He also confesses that the reason he was able to survive so many harrowing, life threatening, experiences was because of God’s protection. That is what led him to decide to live only for God.

There, on the crossroads of death and life, he found the true meaning of life. resident Jung, who was determined to share the teachings of God with the world, saw the young people in the 70’s and 80’s lost and wandering as a result of losing their sense of value. He realized that he needed to save these people. In the midst of the gunfire in Vietnam, he heard a voice from God that told him to love lives and realised that in order for our society to live, we must save our young people. That has become the direction of his ministry.

President Jung, who is currently working on international ministry, has written a book about the things he has experienced of God with a desire to share God’s message.

A place one can feel the hand of God through nature, Wolmyeongdong

What kind of a place is Wolmyeongdong Conference Center?

Wolmyeongdong Conference Center, which is located in Jinsan-myon of Choong-nam Geumsan-kun, is a place that is like the umbilical cord for the Christian Gospel Mission. It is also President Jung’s hometown.

Wolmyeongdong means a place where the moon is bright and big. Our members worked with President Jung for over 10 years to develop, investing tremendous amount of sweat and tears to complete.

The reason this place was developed was because President Jung lived his life of prayer here. This is where he heard the voices from God and realised the word. That is why it holds a special meaning. It is also a place where people can feel the hand of God through nature that surrounds it.

Geographically, it is a convergence point between two mountain ranges. Noryang and Charyang mountain ranges converge in a dragon formation at Wolmyeongdong. The spot has long been the object of legends that tell of a great world-renown figure who will appear from the region. It doesn’t seem a mere coincidence that President Jung was born in that area.

Even as late as the early 1900’s the region was an abandoned remote mountain village that people rarely visited. Now, the numbers of members who visit every year are staggering. It has been transformed into a place visited by hundreds of thousands of people per year.

In the summertime the conference center hosts all types of performances. It also serves as a venue for sporting events as well as a place to improve one’s physical health. In the wintertime it is possible sled and ski along with many other types of winter activities. For that reason, the conference center is considered by members to be a natural resting place for all seasons.

After developing Wolmyeongdong, President Jung told us, “Just as Wolmyeongdong, which was a pitiful place before development, has become an invaluable place through development, I urge all of you to become precious beings that are developed and useful to God.” President Jung’s words suggest many things to us.

Practising the mind of Christ through public service

We know that a part of the Christian Gospel Mission’s activities involve public service.

The public service arm of the Christian Gospel Mission was established through the desire of President Jung to practice the teachings of Jesus who cared for the sick and the poor and healed them through giving the word. We pursue programs that practice the love of Christ with the understanding that love is more powerful than anything else in the world.

We focus our activities on helping to nurture young people. Providing proper guidance to our young people is the key to guaranteeing the future of our society. Another axis of the philosophy of “Peace in the family” that Christian Gospel Mission advocates is the philosophy that arming the young people with a healthy mentality will enable them to create healthy families in their future.

Our public service efforts of providing for the needs of our neighbors are important for fortifying the attitude of social responsibility and instilling a sense of belonging to the society.

These public service activities are grounded in faith. Therefore, they teach people the mind of Christ who served freely. We believed that serving others with great dedication is valuable in itself. Each of our member churches run at least one public service program. It is an expression of our desire to bring about world peace.

We are involved in more than 50 community service programs including the aforementioned movement for family peace, campaigns aimed at creating a healthy society, activities for cleaning up the environment, youth guidance and cultural activities, children’s charities, restoration of facilities and equipment, blood drives, relief for victims of natural disasters, cost-free medical clinics, assistance for farmers, charities for the poor, assistance for the elderly and disenfranchised, international charities, sponsoring marathons, choir performances, etc. Each month, more than a thousand people are involved in such public service activities throughout the nation as well as numerous activities throughout the 50 member nations.

God’s work is revealed in history

Christian Gospel Mission is considered by the established denominations as heretical. Is there a standard by which heresy is determined? 

When you examine the scriptures, you will find that in every time period the people of God were not welcomed. In fact, recounting that reminds us of a sad and painful history in which those sent by God were treated as heretics. This was the case for Jesus who came to this world as the Messiah. All of his disciples were also accused of heresy and were given no choice but to walk the path of martyrdom.

In the eyes of the Jewish people who were the establishment at Jesus’s time, Jesus and his disciples were undoubtedly heretics. However, as followers of Jesus’s teachings , we can’t help but blame the unfortunate outcome on the ignorance of the Jewish religious leaders. The concept of heresy is extremely relative and always dynamic. We believe it should be left up to history to label anyone a heretic or not.

Yesterday’s heresies became today’s orthodoxies. In light of this simple and plain truth, we must reject the black and white notion that tradition is always right and heresy is always wrong.

If you search the scriptures, you will find that in 1 John 2:22, it is explained that anyone who denies the father and the son is the antichrist. President Jung and we, the members, worship Jesus Christ as much as anyone else. In essence, the people who serve God according to His will and put His will to practice are the the true people of God. We believe that President Jung is a true man of God who does his best to fulfill God’s will. All of us faithfully follow his teachings to do the same.

Only God is the protector of nations

Could you tell us, as a religious person, your take on the current issue of North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons and the condition of peace in Northeast Asia?

It is true that the issue of nuclear arms in North Korea severely threatens peace not only for Northeast Asia but also for the entire world. Seeing the recent progress in the talks and their willingness to rejoin the six party talks is greatly reassuring. I believe that guaranteeing peace for the Korean peninsula would be difficult if the issue is not resolved soon. Since God’s words were sown on this land 200 years ago, Korea has steadily grown into a Christian nation that leads the world in spirituality. These facts show that God will not allow the escalation of North Korea’s nuclear crisis.

In 1994, when Korea’s military alert was escalated to an all-time high under the pressure of North Korea’s nuclear development, leaders and members from the entire nation gathered to pray all night. As a result of God’s answer to those prayers, the situation was quickly defused.

I think it is time for all of us to pray for Korea’s peace as well as the peace of the world, and ask God to be our nation’s guardian. I think it is time for all religious people to become one. On June 17th, the leaders from the nation gathered at Wolmyeongdong to ask for salvation of this nation and to pray for its safety.

The goal of creating 1,000 churches in Korea and preaching the gospel in 120 nations

Please tell us the future plans of the Christian Gospel Mission

Until now, President Jung has been focusing all his energy on raising people rather than building structures. Each quarter, we hold passing ceremonies for thousands of people. That is our vision and the goal of our ministry. Currently, there is also a leadership training program with roughly 4,500 participants training to be leaders. Those leaders will be used to fulfill God’s will by continuing our work with the ministry as well as our public service activities.

Towards that end, the construction of the World Mission Center is nearly completed. The World Mission Center will be used as the headquarters for international ministry with the purpose of sending out missionaries, hosting various meetings and seminars, as a center for research and development, as well as a hub for all administrative matters.

Our ministry efforts in Asia, Europe, and the Americas are growing more active each day because we are focusing our efforts and pursuing our goal of establishing a thousand churches domestically and to create branches in 120 nations throughout the world.

We will push to share the mind of God with the world through expanding our international cultural exchange programs that break down walls between people and religions. The missionaries who are sent out to the world will also play the role of cultural ambassadors who will teach the world about the true Korea.

Make yourself into a work of art

Finally, what would you like to say to the readers who are reading this article?

Human beings are immensely great beings who carry within them the value of God. God wants to fulfill His will through people. That is why the value of our being is incalculable.

Living in this world requires money, fame, and power. However, we know very well that a life lived without truth is a life that is empty. If we spend our precious youth lost and wandering in the much of alcohol, smoking, and sexual immorality, we will wake up one day having lost our true self.

Just as we envision beautiful objects when we draw up our plans for a work of art, it is a given that our creator God wants us to live beautiful lives. I wish that rather than pursuing worldly things that are meaningless at best, I hope that everyone will regain the value of their precious lives by the power of God.

At the wedding, the bride is at the height of her beauty as she takes the bridegroom’s hand. Jesus told us that we must become the brides of God and that we must remain awake in our most beautiful state to become the brides of God. President Jung leads us to make ourselves into masterpieces and to be used for the world. I urge everyone not to ruin themselves through their own actions but instead to continue making the effort to become perfect. That is the mission God gives us today and that is His message.

Poem “I”

A sculptor carves on a tile

the dreams of a 1000 years

Everyday I go brimming with hope

 

I am

“Action more than Words.”

 

Even though my body is small, I understand everything

Even though my eyes are small, they penetrate 

this world to the next

All that remain of my life

is to be used as his hands and feet.

1 Oct 1988 at Sangdo-dong, A poem that contain’s President Jung’s confession of his creed.

President Jung Myung Seok

Born in 1945, Chungnam Geumsan-gun Jinsan-Myun, graduated from Wesley Seminary. The founder and President of Christian Gospel Mission. Made his debut as a poet in 1995 in “Literary Fiction”, and wrote “Spiritual Poem 1,2,” “Book of Parables,” “Heaven’s Words, My Words 1,2,3,4,” “Words of Salvation,” and other works. Also, through various national and international organizations, he spreads all kinds of artistic activities. Now, through the Global Association of Culture and Peace, he organizes various arts, sports, and lively cultural activities for peace.

Original Article on Sisa News August 2005 edition, page 34 to 52.