06/12/2018

“Ban Coercive Conversion” in NYTimes raises human rights concerns in democratic South Korea

#RememberGu #CCK #HumanRights #Coercive_Conversion_Program #Ban_CCP

A non-profit advertisement entitled “Ban Coercive Conversion” was published in the New York Times on November 28th showing a wolf in sheep’s clothing clutching a wad of cash and a chain while a woman is tied up, ready to be burnt at the stake. The purpose of this jerking advertisement is to raise awareness of the recent case of Ms. Ji-In Gu who was, on two separate occasions, kidnapped by her parents to a secluded location and suffocated to death in late December 2017 for refusing to renounce her religious beliefs. Her case is just one of over 1000 in South Korea whereby youth are forcibly converted from minor Christian denominations to the main Presbyterian teaching, through a programme called "coercive conversion". This programme was established and is implemented by pastors of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK); an organisation founded in 1989 consisting of an alliance of Christian denominations - the majority being Presbyterian. 
In response to Ms. Gu’s death, 120,000 people gathered at a public rally in Seoul, Korea, urging for legal punishment on these Christian pastors and putting an end to this illegal practice. This was followed by dozens of rallies worldwide. In the words of Pastor Noel Malik, Director of Pakistan Minorities Alliance in Italy, “Denominations who exercise those actions are not Christian. They are extremist and anti-Christian. I want to ask them. In which chapter and which verse are you following to do such bad action? If the Bible does not say, why are you doing that?"

This is much more than just a violation of one’s religious freedoms in 21st century Korea. It is a clear violation of one’s human rights, hidden beneath the guise of religion. Pastors evade the law by deceiving parents into believing that their child has fallen into a ‘cult’; therefore absolving themselves of any responsibility. Moreover, during the last four years, 571 pastors of the Presbyterian Church have been sentenced for crimes including forgery, drink-driving and sexual assault.

The CCK and its heinous coercive conversion programme, which has raised 137 cases since Ms. Gu’s death this year alone, needs to come to an end. Ms. Jihye Choi, co-president of Human Rights Association for Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs (HAC) in South Korea, said “In order to root out this kind of anti-human rights conversion, international interest is of tremendous importance". It is, therefore, fitting that this publication appeared in the New York Times and is spreading all over the world. Something must give. In the words of H.E. Samuel Sam-Sumana, Former Vice President of Government of Sierra Leone, “Governments should be encouraged and supported to develop clearly defined policies and laws against forceful conversion and those policies and laws should be fully enforced.”

The Korean government has yet to publicly acknowledge Ms. Gu’s death.

5 comments:

  1. If you are curious about afterlife come and join
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    ReplyDelete
  2. If you are curious about afterlife come and join
    Wow I will watch know surely
    I've been looking for this

    ReplyDelete
  3. A well-written article. The problem is that coercive conversion programme leaders label this practice ‘counseling,’ which masks their true intent for financial profit and allows them to systematically violate human rights behind the detection of the law. The UK papers need to follow suit and publicise this injustice. I can't believe this is happening in 21st century South Korea

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  4. Thank you for shedding light on this issue!!

    ReplyDelete