Fox34 & MorningStar (USA) have publicised the recent rallies held in dozens of countries that urged for the shutdown of the corrupt Christian Council of Korea (CCK) and for justice to be administered to victims of their brutal coercive conversion programme. To date, two women have died from this programme: Mrs. Sunhwa Kim who was murdered with a hammer blow to the head in October 2007 and Ms. Ji-In Gu who died from asphyxiation on January 9th 2018. Moreover, this programme has subjected more than 1250 believers in the Republic of Korea - mainly youth - to forced abduction  over the last ten years.

The two latest news articles make known to American citizens the 30,000-strong rally held in Gwanghwamun Plaza, Seoul, on 27th January, and the 1000 and 300-strong rallies held shortly after in California and Washington DC, respectively. The fact that these rallies are taking place in the US with the latter being held outside the White House shows how serious this issue has become. While the South Korean government remains silent on such human rights violations committed by the CCK, the cries of American citizens are being made to the US government for their intervention.

What exactly is coercive conversion? Coercive conversion is a practice conceived and implemented by pastors of the CCK whereby pastors target believers of minority faiths whom they identify as belonging to a ‘cult’. They then instruct family members to abduct and drug their loved one, bringing them to a remote location whereupon a pastor verbally berates the victim until he or she renounces their beliefs and accepts the Presbyterian teachings of the CCK. Pastors evade legal punishment by manipulating victims' loved ones in return for money. This is a serious human rights concern masked behind the veil of religion.

Through worldwide rallies attended by faith leaders and hosted by Global Citizens’ Human Rights Coalition (GCHRC) - an alliance of nearly 100 civil and human rights organisations - people are demanding a ban on coercive conversion, punishment for responsible pastors and a complete shutdown of the CCK. 

The CCK is rooted in a dark history. The Presbyterian church (root of CCK) served as informants to the occupiers during the period of Japanese Imperialism (1910-1945), selling them military supplies for use against their own people and forcing Koreans to bow down to Japanese shrine worship. Over the last ten years, 12,000 pastors affiliated to the CCK have been convicted of crimes including fraud, harassment, drink-driving and sexual assault. The CCK has disseminated so much false news, throwing the Korean people both within and outside the religious world, into confusion. The CCK is a criminal, not religious, organisation.

Various faith leaders in attendance denounced the CCK. GCHRC representative Stephen Acousto said, "The CCK's wrongdoings has defiled the purpose of Christian faith. If they are not shutdown, they will also influence Korean-American and other American churches who work together with them."

In a press conference following the large-scale rally held in South Korea, International Women’s Peace Human Rights Commission’s Chairperson Seoyeon Lee said:

“President Moon [Jae-In] and his government should heed the voices of law-abiding citizens and protect their human rights. We request the rapid enactment of a law to ban and punish coercive conversion programs and to end coercive conversion which suppresses the right to freedom of religion.”

In the last twelve months, there have been 147 confirmed cases of coercive conversion in South Korea with dozens of detainees unaccounted for. To help support this cause, please visit http://endcoerciveconversion.org/