[Cheonji Ilbo = Reporter Kang Soo-kyung] The majority of forced conversion programmes leave indelible scars that do not fade. Victims of forced conversion often experience a recurrence of abuse by their own families following contact with conversion pastors. 

Ms. Ju-hee Song (pseudonym) of Buk district, Gwangju city, suffered violent language and abuse from her parents because of her faith at Shincheonji Church. After two failed attempts by Ms. Song's parents to drag her onto the conversion programme, their third attempt, cunningly devised together with a conversion pastor, achieved their will  Such acts led to a complete breakdown between parents and children. What follows is a full account of Ms. Song's testimony.

Greetings,

My name is Ju-hee Song, from Buk district, Gwangju Metropolitan City. I am a law-abiding citizen of the Republic of Korea - a country which guarantees 'freedom of religion' - and also a believer in God. 

In March 2010, a fellow sister who shared the same faith as I underwent forced conversion. She called my mother's church directly and informed them that my younger sister and I were members of Shincheonji Church. Before I could speak openly with my family, my faith had suddenly been made known. 

My parents already had a negative perception of Shincheonji Church. Now they deprived me of my cell phone and ordered me to return home no later than 5pm daily. 

One morning, at dawn, I was suddenly awoken to beatings and curses from my father. He had never previously sworn at me. He was furious and even lifted a chair to threaten me. He forced me to attend early morning prayer at the church he and my mother attend. 

During that period, my parents had been receiving ongoing consultation from a conversion pastor. Through acquaintances, my sister had learnt in June 2010 that my parents were busy making preparations for me to undergo the coercive conversion programme. 

I confronted my parents about this and they confessed that they had indeed made such preparations for me to undergo forced conversion. They contacted Shincheonji Church, admitted what they had done and said that they would stop immediately. So my sister and I returned home, and continued to live with Mum and Dad as we had done before. 

However, my parents made preparations for coercive conversion for the second time in winter. We managed to find a way out after their plan was leaked to an acquaintance.

My mother felt no remorse for her lies and was prepared for me to be kidnapped as part of this 'programme'. My sister and I left home to live independent lives and sometimes visited our parents outside. 

During the winter and summer breaks of 2011, my parents had completed preparations for us to undergo forced conversion. 

My younger sister celebrated her university graduation in February 2012. As my father was very fond of the university, he asked me to attend the graduation ceremony. We did so joyfully, taking several family photos. Following celebrations, we got into my father's car and made our way for a family meal. 

At first, my father seemed to be driving towards the intended destination, but after a while he stopped at a remote spot and shouted, “Grab them!” My sister and I were cuffed and bound with rope tied round our arms and legs. Regardless of our cries and pleas, it all fell on deaf ears. 

We stopped off outside a remote pension (lodging) in Hwasoon city, Jeollanam province, where we were dragged outside the car with our mouths taped shut and arms held tightly to prevent us from fleeing. My sister and I had become victims of kidnap. We pleaded with the owner of the pension to intervene, but the owner turned a blind eye. My parents clearly had no intention of letting us go anywhere until we had completed this forced conversion programme.

No one paid any attention to what we had to say about our faith in Shincheonji Church. It was deemed a mental illness that required repeated treatment. My mother continued to wail aloud, insisting that her health had deteriorated because she was unable to eat. 

By day three, I was exhausted from stress and I succumbed to forced conversion. I was taken to 'Pastor A's' church to begin the coercive conversion programme. As soon as my sister and I arrived, 'pastor A' began meting out curses against Shincheonji Church with lies. My sister and I refuted every one of his false and groundless accusations. 

'Pastor A', who had vehemently spewed lies for three hours, told my father that my sister and I were now so immersed in the faith that it would be near-impossible for us to renounce our beliefs and convert. My Dad pleaded with ‘pastor A’, but was assured that nothing could be done. So, on day four  of the kidnap, we returned back home to Gwangju. My younger sister and I had refused to be 'converted' and my parents were devastated.

We were assured that our family would return to living in mutual peace. We would regularly return home weekly to eat and restore broken relationships yet were unaware of their plan to initiate yet another coercive conversion programme.

Then, just five months after the forced conversion attempt in July that year, my parents had arranged for coercive conversion proceedings on a Sunday, when we usually visited and gathered for a family meal. They thought it would be too difficult to convince us to consent to the programme, so they brought our aunt and uncle along. This would leave my sister and I with unimaginable heartbreak and an inability to ever return home. 

After a regular family meal at my parents', I took some rest when, all of a sudden, I saw my aunt and uncle rush in to the room and, without prior mention, violently beat my sister and I. My mouth was wrapped tightly with blue tape, and my hands and feet cuffed and bound with rope. My younger sister was held down tightly and my uncle smacked her head on the floor so many times as she bit his arm in defence. 

My family even tried to stop him. My younger sister was suffocating so my uncle let her head up and told her, "If you scream again, I'll kill you." My sister and I had been taken hostage in our own parents' home. Our neighbours eventually heard our cries and reported it to the police. 

Nevertheless, we were dragged into a car which didn't even belong to my father. My sister and I were taken to a remote studio where we were detained separately. I felt so betrayed by my parents.

Whenever I tried to escape forced confinement inside the studio, I was sworn at and violently treated. Due to extreme exhaustion from ceaseless violence and profanities in confinement, I eventually succumbed to coercive conversion; an all-day experience which lasted from 10am-6pm. I sought any opportunity to escape. By day 25, I managed to open the door of the room I was imprisoned in and, even though my every step was monitored, I was set free and ran away. 

My father talked with the conversion pastor throughout our detainment, receiving feedback such as, "they should stay here a little longer", and, "tell the police this and that". 

When I returned to Gwangju, I went to the police station to report a case of kidnap, but the police discouraged me from doing so, saying I would have to sue my own parents if I did so. 

Even though the conversion programme has since ended, I am still looked down upon by my family and am not welcome home as long as I continue my life of faith at Shincheonji Church. Family trust has completely broken down with irreversible damage. 

It begs the question: is it right for these perpetrators, who hide behind religion, to use parents as instruments to carry out human rights abuses whilst evading legal punishment?