18-Day Forcible Confinement on Pretext of 'Religion': "Coercive Conversion" in 21st Century South Korea

South Korea's human rights record may shock many readers. Coercive conversion, also known as 'forced conversion' or 'deprogramming', includes acts of drugging, kidnap and abuse that, in the worst case, has led to the death of its victims. Coercive conversion is the brainchild of the Korean Protestant Church that targets believers of minority faiths whom the Protestant Church freely labels a 'cult'. Its biggest perpetrator is the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), whose head pastor recently threatened to "kill God".

Coercive conversion pastors instil fear and anxiety in the hearts and minds of families whose loved one carries out a life of faith at a non-mainstream church or denomination, making them believe that their beloved child, wife or parent has fallen into a ‘cult’ and is now prone to making extreme hasty decisions. Deceived families act upon the counsel of a 'conversion pastor', thereby drugging and kidnapping their own relative to remote lodgings for the purposes of receiving 'conversion counselling' over a period of weeks or months. Playing on the family's unfounded fears, these victims, who are mostly females in their early twenties, are coerced into renouncing their religious beliefs and signing their 'consent' to Presbyterian teaching and to 'de-convert'. Refusal to do so often leaves victims with emotional, psychological and physical scars which, in the worst case, results in murder. Violence often becomes 'last straw' to 'save' the family unit. Of the roughly 1500 cases of coercive conversion carried out in South Korea since 2008, the vast majority of victims have been congregants of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. 'Conversion pastors' receive payment from the family, and cases are often dismissed by police authorities as a simple 'family affair' or 'religious issue'. Legal punishment, therefore, is rarely administered against perpetrating 'conversion pastors'.

Among the most well-known case of coercive conversion is that of the late Ji-in Gu, who was asphyxiated to death by her father in January 2018 as she attempted to flee from the site of coercive conversion. In spite of a 120,000-strong rally (see main photo above) held in Seoul in February 2018 that called for the punishment of perpetrating 'conversion pastors' and for enactment of a law banning the programme, the late Gu's death has received very little media coverage within Korea. Religion and politics have colluded as Protestant pastors seek to advance their political standing by securing 'votes' from their congregation.

In the most recent case published by a Korean news outlet (link below), a young Shincheonji Church congregant was set free by police following a report by his friend who had not heard from the victim in days. Police found the victim bound in an officetel (partially self-contained building) with parents and a conversion pastor at the scene. Police confirmed that the victim had had his mobile phone taken away and coerced into receiving 'conversion education' over a period of 18 days simply because he chose to live a life of faith at Shincheonji Church. The police has refused to reveal further details. It's only a matter of time before it is seen whether charges will be pressed or the perpetrating 'conversion pastors' yet again absolved scot-free. Coercive conversion continues unabated in 21st century South Korea.

Most recent case (original source): http://reurl.kr/269114F0AYR

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Cases of Coercive Conversion (also known as 'Forced Conversion' or 'Deprogramming')
"Pastors Even Instigated Divorce When Coercive Conversion Failed, And My Children Were Taken From Me"
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/02/pastors-even-instigated-divorce-when.html

Adult Male Drugged With Sleeping Pills For Coercive Conversion - His Refusal Led to Parent's One-Person Protest
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/02/adult-male-drugged-with-sleeping-pills.html

Admitted to a Psychiatric Ward Because of My Faith at Shincheonji - Where Are My Rights?
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/02/admitted-to-psychiatric-ward-because-of.html

Abducted and Confined Inside a Van for 40 Hours – “Conversion Pastor Even Took My Kids Away”
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/abducted-and-confined-inside-van-for-40.html

Cancer Patient Abducted and Forced to Undergo Coercive Conversion at Protestant Church in Korea
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/cancer-patient-abducted-and-forced-to.html

A Woman in Her 20s Suffocated to Death While Forcibly Confined - Do You Know the Case Involving 'Ji-In Gu'?
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-woman-in-her-20s-suffocated-to-death.html

Husband Paid Pastor 3,000,000 Korean Won For Me To Undergo Coercive Conversion
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/husband-paid-pastor-3000000-korean-won.html

"The Only Thing Left Was Divorce - Who Is Responsible?"
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-only-thing-left-behind-was-divorce.html?m=0

Confined in a Remote Mountainous Log Cabin - Coercive Conversion Predominantly Targets Shincheonji Church Members (part 1/2)
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/confined-in-remote-mountainous-log.html?m=0

Abduction and Confinement - Coercive (Forced) Conversion in South Korea
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/abduction-and-confinement-coercive.html

I Became a Victim of 'Coercive Conversion' in South Korea Because I'm a Member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/shincheonji-church-victim-of-coercive.html?m=0

Confined in a Remote Mountainous Log Cabin - Coercive Conversion Predominantly Targets Shincheonji Church Members (part 2/2)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/conversion-pastor-set-out-to-convert-me.html

Imprisoned and Starved for Over One Week for Refusing to Renounce My Faith in Shincheonji Church. How Can I Forgive these Conversion Pastors?!
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/01/imprisoned-and-starved-for-over-one.html

73-Day Coercive Conversion Programme in Confinement for Attending Shincheonji Church - I Fled Mid-Winter through the Bathroom Window
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/12/73-day-coercive-conversion-programme-in.html?m=0

Targets of 'Forced Conversion' Suffering 'Kidnap, Confinement, Brainwashing' - Female College Students, Pregnant Women, Vulnerable Cancer Patients.
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/12/targets-of-forced-conversion-suffering.html

1000s of Cases of Abduction, Confinement and Assault: Shocking Stats Expose South Korea's Shameful 'Coercive Conversion' Endemic
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/12/1000s-of-cases-of-abduction-confinement.html

International Community's Petition for an End to Coercive Conversion, While National Human Rights Commission of Korea Turns A Blind Eye
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/12/international-communitys-petition-for.html

Allegation "Shincheonji Stole My Daughter" Found to Be a Lie
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/12/allegation-shincheonji-stole-my.html

Imprisoned in a Country Pension to Undergo Coercive Conversion because of My Life of Faith at Shincheonji Church of Jesus
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/10/imprisoned-in-countryside-pension-to.html

“Forced to Undergo 'Coercive Conversion' Thrice Within Two Years, Even Confined in a Psychiatric Ward Simply Due to My Faith at Shincheonji Church of Jesus"
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/10/forced-to-undergo-coercive-conversion.html

“Liars Allege that Shincheonji Church Confiscates Property, Destroys Families & Endorses Coercive Conversion. It’s Coercive Conversion Pastors Who Do Such Things!”
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/10/liars-allege-that-shincheonji-church.html?m=0

Confined on the 2nd floor of a Police Station to Stop me from Living my Life of Faith at Shincheonji Church. With a Crippled Arm, I Was Dragged Away for Coercive Conversion
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/10/confined-on-2nd-floor-of-police-station.html?m=0

Imprisoned for 2½ months in a secluded location in the mountains. My ‘crime’? Being a believer at Shincheonji Church
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/10/imprisoned-for-2-months-in-secluded.html

“Although I managed to evade 'coercive conversion' with every pastor in town brought in by fleeing to the army, harassment continued"
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/09/although-i-managed-to-evade-coercive.html?m=0

“Incitement of Hatred Towards Shincheonji Tears Families Apart"
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/09/incitement-of-hatred-towards.html

“Conversion Pastor Caused Newlyweds to Divorce, Promoting Division and Conflict Among Both Families”
⇨https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/09/conversion-pastor-caused-newlyweds-to.html?m=0

Drugged and Abducted, Chained and Imprisoned...Yet Police Respond to Three Separate Appeals With the Words "We Can't Help You"
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/09/drugged-and-abducted-chained-and.html

“Adult Male Kidnapped, Drugged, Handcuffed & Forced into a Suitcase for the Purpose of Coercive Conversion" (18th June 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/adult-male-kidnapped-drugged-handcuffed.html

'Counselling Education'? No - 'Coercive Conversion' & Human Rights Abuses. Controversy Surrounds YTN As Its News Anchor Becomes Head Speaker at CBS' 'Shincheonji Counselling' Programme (June 25th 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/counselling-education-no-coercive.html

Coercive Conversion in Present-Day South Korea: Amoral Pastors Who Deceive Parents for Money
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/coercive-conversion-in-present-day.html

"Mum’s Piercing Words, 'Get out of the House, you Bi*ch!' Yet Later Protested 'Bring Back my Daughter!'" (Cheonji Daily, 10th June 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/mums-piercing-words-get-out-of-house.html

"It’s because of 'Shincheonji Church' Vs. 'It's Parents Who Kidnap and Confine their Children'. Who's to blame?" (Cheonji Daily, 5th June 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/its-because-of-shincheonji-church-vs.html

“Kidnapped & Confined: Coercive Conversion Abuses Parents’ Love & Must Be Eliminated”
(Cheonji Daily 2nd June 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/kidnapped-confined-coercive-conversion.html

“Coercive Conversion Pastor Treated me like an Animal and Instigated Mistrust Within my Family”
(Cheonji Daily 1st June 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/06/coercive-conversion-pastor-treated-me.html

Is This A Communist ‘People's Court'? The Deception of Coercive Conversion
(Cheonji Daily 21st May 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/is-this-communist-peoples-court.html

Restrained with Sleeping Pills…Resisted Forced Conversion, but was Assaulted and Eventually Fainted
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/restrained-with-sleeping-pillsresisted.html

Drugged, Handcuffed, Kidnapped, Confined; it’s OK, they Belong to Shincheonji! Today’s ‘Cult Framing' that Violates Human Rights and Tears Families Apart
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/drugged-handcuffed-kidnapped-confined.html

“Kidnapped and Confined Without Shower or Food, and Sexually Shamed”
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/kidnapped-and-confined-without-shower.html

"Family deceived and manipulated into locking up and beating pregnant family member. 'Peace' will be found when truth is revealed"
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/05/family-deceived-and-manipulated-into.html

"They forced me to remove my underwear in front of relatives in a car. I'm a 30 year-old woman”
(Cheonji Daily 28th April 2020)
⇨http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2020/04/they-forced-me-to-remove-my-underwear.html