SEOUL, September 7 (AJP) - Prosecutors on Monday sought a 27-year prison sentence for cult leader Jung Myung-seok on charges of raping and sexually assaulting female followers.
During a final hearing at a court in Daejeon, prosecutors also requested that Jung Myung-seok, the 81-year-old founder of the Christian Gospel Mission, better known as JMS, be ordered to undergo rehabilitation for sexual offenses, be barred from working with children, teenagers or people with disabilities for 10 years, wear an electronic monitoring device for 20 years, and be placed on probation for five years.
Prosecutors said consistent accounts from the victims, testimony from other witnesses and other evidence were sufficient to support the charges, arguing that Jung used his strong power as the quasi-religious sect's leader to manipulate young female followers, some of whom were financially vulnerable, and sexually abuse them repeatedly.
They also accused him of further hurting the victims by claiming that their testimonies were fabricated or motivated by money, pressuring them to remain silent and showing no remorse.
The repeat offender is accused of psychologically manipulating some 16 female followers by presenting himself as a "messiah," putting them into a state where they could not resist, then sexually assaulting or molesting them more than 80 times between 2018 and 2022 at a training facility and other sites in South Chungcheong Province. He is also accused of coercing a victim into signing a statement pledging not to speak out about the assault.
Jung has denied all charges, telling the court that he never had physical contact with the women and that they were not incapacitated.
The octogenarian is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence in Daejeon in a separate case involving similar offenses against a Hong Kong follower and others from Australia and South Korea.
He previously served a 10-year prison sentence from 2008 to 2018 for sexually assaulting four female followers in their 20s in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia between 2001 and 2006, only to face additional similar charges shortly after his release.
His verdict is scheduled to be delivered on Oct. 1.
AJP Takeaways
- Prosecutors sought a 27-year prison sentence for Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) founder Jung Myung-seok on Sept. 7, 2026, over charges of raping and sexually assaulting female followers.
- Jung Myung-seok is accused of sexually assaulting or molesting about 16 female followers more than 80 times between 2018 and 2022 in South Chungcheong Province. He denies all charges.
- Jung Myung-seok is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence for similar offenses against followers from Hong Kong, Australia and South Korea, with a verdict in the latest case scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026.
During a final hearing at a court in Daejeon, prosecutors also requested that Jung Myung-seok, the 81-year-old founder of the Christian Gospel Mission, better known as JMS, be ordered to undergo rehabilitation for sexual offenses, be barred from working with children, teenagers or people with disabilities for 10 years, wear an electronic monitoring device for 20 years, and be placed on probation for five years.
Prosecutors said consistent accounts from the victims, testimony from other witnesses and other evidence were sufficient to support the charges, arguing that Jung used his strong power as the quasi-religious sect's leader to manipulate young female followers, some of whom were financially vulnerable, and sexually abuse them repeatedly.
They also accused him of further hurting the victims by claiming that their testimonies were fabricated or motivated by money, pressuring them to remain silent and showing no remorse.
The repeat offender is accused of psychologically manipulating some 16 female followers by presenting himself as a "messiah," putting them into a state where they could not resist, then sexually assaulting or molesting them more than 80 times between 2018 and 2022 at a training facility and other sites in South Chungcheong Province. He is also accused of coercing a victim into signing a statement pledging not to speak out about the assault.
Jung has denied all charges, telling the court that he never had physical contact with the women and that they were not incapacitated.
The octogenarian is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence in Daejeon in a separate case involving similar offenses against a Hong Kong follower and others from Australia and South Korea.
He previously served a 10-year prison sentence from 2008 to 2018 for sexually assaulting four female followers in their 20s in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia between 2001 and 2006, only to face additional similar charges shortly after his release.
His verdict is scheduled to be delivered on Oct. 1.
AJP Takeaways
- Prosecutors sought a 27-year prison sentence for Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) founder Jung Myung-seok on Sept. 7, 2026, over charges of raping and sexually assaulting female followers.
- Jung Myung-seok is accused of sexually assaulting or molesting about 16 female followers more than 80 times between 2018 and 2022 in South Chungcheong Province. He denies all charges.
- Jung Myung-seok is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence for similar offenses against followers from Hong Kong, Australia and South Korea, with a verdict in the latest case scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026.
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