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Jung Myung Seok

This is a Korean name; the family name is Jung (정).

Jung Myung-Seok (born February 17, 1945) is a South Korean self-proclaimed messiah and leader of a religious group called Providence.^[1] He is also known by the names of Joshua Jung, Joshua Lee Jung, Joshua Lee, and JMS.^[2]

Jung originally fled Korea in 1999 after rape accusations surfaced and was officially charged in 2001.^[3] After nearly 9 years on the run,^[4] Jung was finally captured by Chinese police in May 2007.^[5][6] Besides rape, Jung has also been charged with fraud, sexual abuse, and embezzlement.^[7]

In January 2008, the Supreme Court of South Korea found that Jung forced two female followers to have sex with him as part of a religious purification ritual.^[1][8] In August 2008, Jung was convicted of raping five of his followers and sentenced to six years imprisonment.^[9] In April 2009, the Supreme court of South Korea sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment^[10].

Early biography

Jung was born in Geumsan County, South Chungcheong.

In the 1970s Jung was a member of the Unification Church, before breaking off to create the dissenting group^[11] now known as Providence around 1980 in South Korea.^[12][13]

In 1999, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) in Korea reported about sexual abuse allegedly committed by Jung. This resulted in Jung fleeing the country one day later.^[14] However, accusations surfaced in other countries, and in 2001 he was investigated by Taiwanese authorities causing him to flee Taiwan.^[7]

Jung was arrested in 2003 for illegal stay in Hong Kong but when released on bail, fled the extradition hearing.^[15][16] Following this, he managed to evade capture until May 2007 in China. He was extradited back to South Korea on February 20, 2008.^[17]

Jung’s teaching

Providence chart (reproduced)

Jung believes he has come to finish the incomplete message and mission of Jesus Christ, asserting that he is the Messiah and has the responsibility to save all mankind.^[18] Jung claims that the Christian doctrine of resurrection is false but that people can be saved through him.^[19]

Critics say Jung's teachings pretty clearly derived from the Unification church.^[20] (See Unification theology, Divine Principle.) The main differences are that:

1. it identifies Jung as the Messiah (rather than Sun Myung Moon)
2. it teaches that original sin, originating in Eve's intercourse with Satan, can be defeated by intercourse with the Savior^[21][22]

According to former members, marriages must be approved by Jung. Additionally, both partners must have been in Providence for at least 3 years, have read the Bible 3 times, and recruited 3 new members.^[12]

Rape crimes

According to former members, "in order to gain the favor of their religious leader, the followers choose tall, pretty and young female victims as ‘sexual gifts’" and sends photos of them to Jung. Jung then "systematically goes through a process of choosing the girls from the photos that pleases him and calls upon (these girls) from overseas to rape them."^[23]

According to Toyoshige Aizawa, a Christian minister engaged in weaning young people away from cults, Jung rapes them under the context "to atone for Adam and Eve's original sin, which was visited upon all mankind, it's necessary to engage in intercourse with the Lord."^[20] Afterwards, Jung's aides told them they would go to hell if they told anyone.^[24]

A former member said "I couldn't understand what was happening to me while I was being sexually assaulted, I was so messed up in the head, and couldn't resist whatever the guru did."^[24]

Former members have said, that when Jung was in Japan, "he stayed at his aides' homes in Osaka and Chiba prefectures, where he summoned up to 10 female followers almost every day and indecently assaulted them under the pretext of 'health checks'."^[24] In January 2007, police raided one such facility in Chiba, believing it to have been used by Jung to sexually assault female followers.^[25]

Controversy

Reputation

Jung's religion is seen as a serious problem in Korea and Japan^[26] and as one of Asia's most notorious cults.^[5]

Secular organisations

Jung encourages his followers to form non-religious organisations for the purpose of attracting young people without initially revealing the religious nature of the group or their real motives,^[26] in a practice which has been described as "fraudulent" by lawyers.^[27]

Response

In response to the rape allegations, Providence pastor^[28] Bae Jae-yong said that it was "distorted rumor that was created by the people who have slandered him" and that "all fundamental truth will be clarified by [Jung] at the prosecutor's office".^[17] (This was before he was convicted.)

Events since 2006

April 2006 press conference

In April 2006, a press conference was held by EXODUS in which four unidentified women accused Jung of organised sex crimes against themselves and other women^[29] which necessitated medical treatment.^[30]

In January 2007, police raided a total of 8 Providence facilities in Japan on suspicion a senior member illegally obtained residence status.^[31] The senior member, second in command of Providence's Japanese branch, fled to Taiwan according to law authorities. Taiwan has no criminal extradition treaty with Japan.^[32]

References

External links

• jmscult.com Largest English Internet resource website on JMS (critical)
• Providence Trial - English language Providence related website authored by various members internationally
• Apologetics Index - Jung Myung Seok entry
• Freedom of Mind Center

From Wikiquote

Jung Myung Seok (born 1945-02-17) is a controversial Korean religious leader and international fugitive, wanted for several crimes.

Sourced

• Understand the 30 principles were words I virtually traded with my own life as I struggled those arduous 30 year. Correctly knowing and understanding the words of God is not that easy. I realized the words only after laying such foundations and conditions. I came running reading the bible 2000 times, evangelizing 10,000 people per year, defeating all the satans and demons, and overcoming all matters of physical adversities. So treacherous and wretched was my life that I cringe even at the thought of it.
  • The principle of resurrection

• The Germans were Christians and they also knew that the Jews killed Jesus. "They killed our teacher. They killed our Messiah." Would the Germans sit idly for that? God raised Hitler to resolve His grief. That is why Hitler killed 6 million Jews in the gas chamber and rung oil from them. It was good that he did that. It's really refreshing. If you don't think that was a great thing, you have nothing to do with me or with salvation.
  • Sermon, The ruler will come from among you (Dec. 13 1998)

• We now stand in a time period were we are freed. We must follow because of the words of this time period. We must follow because of the many people that are following. We must follow having received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Do not listen; do not pay attention to the words of wicked people who are critical. They are ignorant people; they are nay sayers; they are evildoers; they are lawbreakers. In every time period there were always people who had opposed God like the barking dogs. You see, that's the nature of wicked people. Even if they have nothing to oppose, even if they see good things, they will oppose. They have done this. They have been negative and critical of everything they have seen. God says, "The eternal hell is prepared for them." Therefore I urge you, do not follow them. But rather, hurry up! Get up! Present yourself before the great word of God. You must believe my words and believe in the God who has sent me in order for you to be saved!!
  • Sermon, Teach the children about me (Mar. 21 2004)

• Now that the word of this time period has been proclaimed, it is now spreading. I told you to listen to the words of this time period. "Listen to the words of the Thirty Principles. The words of this time period have begun. God's history has begun."
  • Sermon, Fire of the Word (Mar. 7th 2004)

• The newcomers must listen to the word well, read the bible a lot, and study the words of this generation properly. God is speaking through my lips so if you want to escape judgment, then you have to learn properly. You have no idea how scary judgment is because you've never experienced it. I'm sure you've experienced some of that. But you've experienced just a little bit because you were still in Providence. People who leave Providence and experience the judgment of God-they experience a lot of it. There are people who have really received the judgment and have actually died. I have seen with my very eyes the judgment that God commences. And I even wrote books about that. Those judgments are scary and terrifying are they not? Do you think that they are merely natural disasters? No. It was God who purposefully made those things happen to judge those people. That is why those judgments can kill tens of thousands of people in just one place. All of these things are not coincidences-they are judgments.
  • Sermon, Fire of the Word (Mar. 7th 2004)

• Whether the person is suffering as a result of sins, laziness, or not receiving blessings from God, we must help and have mercy on them regardless of reason. When Jesus came to this world with the mission from God to make salvation happen, he helped and comforted the poor, the destitute, the prostitutes, sinners, and everyone else in need. We must do the same in our lives in order for us to enter the kingdom that God prepared and not be judged. Only by living that way can we shine our bright lights. If you love me and obey my words, then you will help those who love and follow me whenever they are in need without pointing fingers and accusing them of failing to fulfill personal responsibilities, of being ignorant, lazy, or having weak faith. You must help them and watch over them as you would watch over your own bodies and eat and rejoice with them.
  • Sermon, Cast all your anxieties on him (Jan. 25th 2004)

• Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. When J[esus] proclaimed the truth, then everyone became free. When the words of salvation from God for that new time period were proclaimed, and when everyone who was a prisoner of the former time period followed it, they became free. When the people came to know the truth, then they were freed from the bondage of the OT [Old Testament]. And in the same way, those who are imprisoned by the domain of the NT [New Testament], by hearing the words of this time period, by hearing the words of the 30 principles, are now free and become free people - religious freedom, spiritual freedom, physical freedom, we become free.
  • Sermon, We Must be Equipped in Order to Shine (Mar. 28 2004)

• Someone says, "R [a.k.a. Jung Myung Seok], I repent. I loved a woman in P[rovidence], even though I did not commit the sexual fall, I used to go watch movies with her, I used to go places with her and I was attracted to her in that way. But now I have made up my mind to be diligent. Because of that, I feel so guilty. What do you want me to do?" Do you know how I wrote this person back? "You have done this thing that God hates the most. Did you think that if you told me this I would tell you to marry her?"
  • Sermon, We Must be Equipped in Order to Shine (Mar. 28 2004)

• Make peace and resolve among you. Talk and maintain good relationship. If you cannot resolve with visible men, how could you resolve with invisible God? If you don't reconcile, I myself do not resolve with you. In deep prayer, you realize your shortcoming attritube to all problems. You have learned 30 lessons and the tremendous word of heaven so you have become quite polished in terms of speaking. You have received all the necessary sources you need to be a man of heaven. As a mouth to preach the gosple of the time, your mouth should not be tough. Tough here means dirty, or rotten.
  • Sermon, Refrain your tongue from evil. Grace to the hearers (Jul. 8 1998)

About

• I've never met a man who loves God and who loves Jesus as much as Joshua Jung [a.k.a. Jung Myung Seok]
  • Follower, as quoted in Alleged Cult Sows Seeds Via Campus Event (Nov. 2006)

• R [a.k.a. Jung Myung Seok] is so wise, so spiritual, and so kind. He knew what I was like, knew what I needed to make me change, and let me become who I am. All without making me feel stupid, all without every mentioning my faults. What an amazing man R is.
  • Hyo-myung (John) Lee (PJ), follower, American Providence forum

• [...] when a person starts studying the 30 lessons, its as if all his/her questions in the world have been answered. Suddenly there is no more reason to worry about anything if God himself has returned to earth. We are the chosen "MS" (Morning Stars) of the times and under a special covenant or protection. We are privy to the greatest secret in the world. So of course we trust Jung with whatever he says and truly believe that he only has our best interest in mind. Eventually a person will start to see little things in Jung that prove otherwise: 1. Constant attendance to his every need, special food, protection from the sun, special slippers, etc. 2. Constant demands on your personal time including morning prayer at 4 a.m. causing deprivation of sleep and a guilt complex if not maintained. 3. Support financially of Jung's Holy Land in Korea and other pastors in Korea and America. 4. Forbidding to challenge Jung on his methods of leading or his theology. 5. Rebuke, sometimes open, of the way a person is treating Jung or how he/she is teaching the 30 lessons. 6. Praising Jung over all else, even at the cost of family. 7. In the very depths of indoctrination, acknowledging that Jung has had sex with female attendants, yet condoning the act because he is the Messiah and makes the rules.
  • Former follower

• Dear teacher [...] I was even afraid to ride in a taxi when you drove a Mercedes Benz purchased from our donation. You bragged it riding with [...](they are sisters and most beloved girls of all by Jung) If that's your Providence, I want to live humanly. I still think of the moment when the girls I led to you were crying. Of course some of the girls were proud of having sex with you. They were just happy to have been saved by the messiah. Some even asked how to do with you when you are tired and reported to me how and how many times she had sex with you. I cannot forget the innocent face of a girl who was so proud of sleeping with you, saying "He ejaculates outside, doesn't he?" My words were losing as I was fighting with something collapsing in myself. When I thought staying with you is no more bearable, I left there empty handed without even one dollar.
  • Former follower of 18 years, An open letter by former MS and lecturer

• There is a history of abuse with this group, so many girls get raped by its leader.
  • Peter Daley, critic, as quoted in Alleged Cult Sows Seeds Via Campus Event (Nov. 2006)

External links

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Four Korean women accuse JMS leader Jeong Myeong-seok of rape