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South Korean mega-church leader guilty of raping followers who believed he was God

Lee Jae-rock led a sprawling church that some had denounced as a cult.

A SOUTH KOREAN cult leader has been convicted of the multiple rape of eight female followers — some of whom believed he was God — and jailed for 15 years.

Pastor Lee Jae-rock’s victims were “unable to resist as they were subject to the accused’s absolute religious authority”, judge Chung Moon-sung told the Seoul Central District Court.

Religious devotion is widespread in technologically advanced South Korea, with 44% of people identifying themselves as believers.

Most belong to mainstream churches, which can accumulate wealth and influence with tens of thousands of followers donating as much as 10% of their income.

But fringe groups are also widespread — experts say around 60 people in the country claim to be divine — and some have been implicated in fraud, brainwashing, coercion, and other behaviour associated with cults worldwide.

Lee set up the Manmin Central Church in Guro, once a poor area of Seoul, with just 12 followers in 1982. It has now grown to what is known as a mega-church, with 130,000 members, a spotlight-filled auditorium, a sprawling headquarter , and a website replete with claims of miracle cures.

But three of Lee’s followers went public earlier this year, as South Korea was swept with a wave of #MeToo accusations, describing how he had summoned each of them to an apartment and raped them.

“I was unable to turn him down,” one of them told South Korean television.

“He was more than a king. He was God,” added the woman, who had been a church member since childhood.

Lee told another that she was now in Heaven, and to strip as Adam and Eve went naked in the Garden of Eden. “I cried as I hated to do it,” she told JTBC television.

Eight women laid criminal complaints, and the court found Lee raped and molested them “tens of times” over a long period.

“Through his sermons the accused has indirectly or directly suggested he is the holy spirit, deifying himself,” the judge said.

The victims believed him to be “a divine being who wields divine power”, he added.

Quiet sighs

Lee stood with his eyes closed as the judgement was read, showing no emotion.

The 75-year-old had denied the charges, his lawyers accusing the women of lying to seek vengeance after being excommunicated for breaching church rules.

Around 100 followers filled the courtroom to overflowing, some of them sighing quietly.

But former congregants denounced Lee outside.

“The Manmin Central Church is all about worshipping the pastor Lee Jae-rock,” said Kim Yu-sun, who was a member for 20 years.

“Now that I go to a different church, I worship Jesus and pray to god,” she added. “I’m happy and I like it.”

Second Coming

South Korea has proven fertile ground for religious groups with strong, unambiguous ideologies that offered comfort and salvation, which appealed strongly during times of deep uncertainty.

More recent versions have claimed a unique knowledge of the path to material and spiritual prosperity — a message that resonates in a highly competitive and status-focused society.

According to a 2015 government survey, 28% of South Koreans say they belong to Christian churches, with another 16% describing themselves as Buddhist.

But according to Park Hyung-tak, head of the Korea Christian Heresy Research Institute, around two million people are followers of cults.

“There are some 60 Christian-based cult leaders in this country who claim to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, or God Himself,” he told AFP.

Many cults point to megachurches mired in corruption and other scandals in order to highlight their own presumed purity and attract believers.

On his own website, Lee says that God has “anointed me with His power” but the Manmin Central Church has been condemned as heretical by mainstream Christian organisations, partly because of its claims to miracle healing.

In one example on the church website, Barbara Vollath, a 49-year-old German, said she was born deaf but her bone cancer was cured and she gained hearing in both ears after Lee’s daughter and heiress apparent Lee Soojin prayed for her with a handkerchief he had blessed.

South Korean cults can have deadly consequences: in 1987, 32 members of an apocalyptic group called Odaeyang were found dead at their headquarters after an apparent murder-suicide pact, including its leader, who was under police investigation for embezzlement.

And they can influence the highest reaches of power.

Choi Soon-Sil, the woman at the centre of the corruption scandal that brought down her close friend president Park Geun-Hye, is the daughter of late religious leader Choi Tae-min.

The elder Choi became Park’s spiritual mentor after establishing his own church, Yeongsegyo (‘Spiritual Life’), combining tenets of Buddhism, Christianity and shamanism.

© – AFP 2018

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:05 AM

    “The host was comedian Jason Byrne”. Comedian!? Seriously? Cholera is funnier than that lad.

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    Mute Shimmy Shammy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:11 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: How himself and Ed Byrne have made career in comedy is baffling.

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    Mute Jodi
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:12 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: But he is a comedian, that’s his trade. Not saying he is funny, that’s subjective. I mean, look at Taxi Drivers…

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    Mute I like this cushion
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:12 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: He’s like an Irish Samantha Bee. Unfunny, cringey and annoying.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:14 AM

    @Shimmy Shammy: Marty Morrissey won best TV presenter? Ah here! Now that IS comedy.

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    Mute Gerry Fallon
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:33 AM

    @Jodi: at taxi drivers???
    Is that meant to be humorous jodi?

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    Mute Rear Admiral
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    Jun 1st 2018, 12:33 PM

    @TellingItAsItIs:

    Jason Byrne is about as funny as burning orphanage. His whole monologue is:

    “D’ya remember dat, d’ya remember dat, who remembers dat?”, and
    “Moi ma woulda give me a bleedin box round the head”

    I see he’s picked up the goofy glasses as an extra prop

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    Jun 1st 2018, 12:46 PM

    @Rear Admiral: burning orphanage.. love it. Gonna steal that one :-)

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jun 1st 2018, 1:55 PM

    @TellingItAsItIs: I’m sure IFTA will look for your approval for its next ceremony given all the achievements in your life!

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    Mute Michelle OShea
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    Jun 1st 2018, 2:16 PM

    @Shimmy Shammy: Ed Byrne has got where he is because of Dara O’Briain, riding on the coat tails. They did do road trips that were quite funny..

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    Mute Sean Leonard
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:12 AM

    Lisa McGee deserved the award as did Goggle Box and Red Rock…. But whoever voted for Marty Morrissey or Dancing with the Z-Listers need help!

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    Mute Sideshow Bob
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:43 AM

    @Sean Leonard: Dancing show had a load of viewers.

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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:58 AM

    @Sean Leonard: Dancing with the Staff morelike.. Goggle box is people watching people watching TV.. They should get an award for most ridiculous idea ever.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jun 1st 2018, 1:57 PM

    @Sean Leonard: The Young Offenders would have pipped it for me. What talent in the one category! AND Sharon Horgan is killing it!

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    Mute Sean Leonard
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    Jun 1st 2018, 3:19 PM

    @Deborah Behan: true

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    Mute Jeremiah Dempsey
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:42 AM

    We are a funny people naturally and I know some genuinely hilarious people. It always befuddled me as to how we manage to consistently produce such bland, safe middle of the road comedies and comedians

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jun 1st 2018, 1:59 PM

    @Jeremiah Dempsey: maybe it’s you?

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    Mute Jeremiah Dempsey
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    Jun 1st 2018, 2:25 PM

    @Deborah Behan: maybe it’s me what? It’s pure shite we produce

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    Mute Marcia Craine
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    Jun 1st 2018, 12:24 PM

    Wondering why activists aren’t doing more for travellers? Ha ha ha! I wonder why.

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    Mute Liam Ward
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:35 AM

    Marty Morrissey? Wouldn’t cross the rd to see him,met him once enough said

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    Mute cath
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:39 AM

    The only good thing about derry girls was sister micheal she should have her own show, as for the young offenders it was okish both not that funny!

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:14 AM

    Did anyone turn up for their awards?

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    Mute mike scott
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:18 AM

    @Paul Furey: nobody important did.

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    Mute Mike Keane
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    Jun 1st 2018, 1:52 PM

    @Paul Furey: Because Jason Byrne was the only one to turn up, he got to present the awards as well.

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    Mute Gomurphy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 12:46 PM

    John Connors passionate speech, Bet it was about the poor Travellers

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    Mute Tom McHugh
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:13 AM

    When I think of these events, it reminds me of the Jimmy Savilles of this world, who with a modicum of talent and a massive ego, managed to keep himself in the limelight for years.

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    Mute Brian Deane
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    Jun 1st 2018, 10:31 AM

    Never mind the IFTAs – does television even have a future? Load of biased overpaid windbags.

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    Mute Ciara Ni Mhurchu
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    Jun 1st 2018, 7:44 PM

    John Connors and his Travellers rights speech!? Travellers have the same rights to go to school and get a job like the rest of us. They can even pay taxes, use bins and tax and insure their cars too!

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    Mute Ronan Skelly
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    Jun 1st 2018, 12:17 PM

    Really in all honesty the IFTA awards are a joke…no one who is anyone actually goes to them. For good reason too. They are an embarrassing example of Irish TV…. same old same old. They must do a trawl of the rte canteen before every show to see if anyone wants to do a nicer!

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    Mute Ciara Ni Mhurchu
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    Jun 1st 2018, 1:09 PM

    Infairness they had absolutely no competition.

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    Mute Tom McHugh
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:08 AM

    As it is difficult to provide metrics for being a celebrity, what better way to celebrate?

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    Mute Graeme Murphy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 11:23 AM

    What’s this toxic warning crap? Is for snowflakes? #Moretoxicthebetter

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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Jun 3rd 2018, 5:15 AM

    This title should read Jason Byrne is a complete knob

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    Mute Graeme Murphy
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    Jun 1st 2018, 2:59 PM

    What kind of message do i have to post to get a 10/10 on the toxicometer dealy thing a ma jig

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