Jailed South Korean Sect Leader Gets Another 33 Years as Senior Female Aide Is Sentenced to Seven

A South Korean court has sentenced Jeong Myeong-seok, leader of the Christian Gospel Mission, known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS), to a further 33 years in prison after convicting him of sexual offences involving 16 female followers.

The Daejeon District Court handed down the sentence on 19 October, exceeding the 27 years requested by prosecutors. Senior JMS figure Kim Ji-sun was also sentenced to seven years in prison for aiding the offences, while other officials received prison terms or suspended sentences, according to South Korean media reports.

Jeong, 81, is already serving a 17-year sentence for separate sexual offences. The latest case concerns offences against 16 women between 2018 and 2022. The court said he had exploited his religious authority and influence within the organisation to commit repeated offences.

Court Cites Religious Control and Repeated Offences

Prosecutors said Jeong used his position to persuade followers that he was the Messiah, leaving them psychologically unable to resist his advances. The court said the victims had repeatedly been taught to revere Jeong and obey him, placing them in a state in which they were psychologically unable to resist.

Yonhap reported that judges described the methods used as particularly malicious and said a severe punishment was necessary. The court also highlighted the repeated nature of the offending despite Jeong's previous prison sentence.

Jeong's legal team disputed the allegations during the trial, arguing that he had not made physical contact with the women and that they had not been psychologically incapable of resisting him. The court rejected the defence arguments.

Alongside the 33-year prison term, Jeong was ordered to wear an electronic tracking device for 15 years and barred from working at institutions serving children, adolescents or people with disabilities for 10 years. The court also ordered the public disclosure of his personal information.

Senior Aide and Other Officials Also Sentenced

Kim, identified in South Korean reporting as a senior JMS figure and Jeong's known successor, received seven years in prison for aiding his offences. The latest ruling concerns a separate case from the one in which Kim previously received a seven-year sentence for assisting an offence involving a Hong Kong follower in 2018.

South Korea's Supreme Court upheld that earlier sentence in October 2024. The latest case concerns allegations that Kim helped Jeong exploit the organisation's religious influence over female followers.

Yonhap's Korean-language report said other JMS officials were also sentenced for helping facilitate Jeong's sexual offences or pressuring victims not to report them. Their penalties included a three-year prison term and suspended sentences.

Previous Convictions and Netflix Documentary

Jeong previously served 10 years in prison after a conviction involving sexual offences against four female followers overseas between 2001 and 2006. He was released in February 2018.

He was later sentenced to 17 years for separate offences involving three followers, including a Hong Kong national, an Australian woman and a South Korean woman. The Supreme Court finalised that sentence in January 2025.

The latest ruling was handed down at first instance, and the reports reviewed do not establish whether it will be appealed.

The case also drew international attention through Netflix's 2023 documentary series 'In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,' which examined allegations involving Jeong and other South Korean religious leaders.