Mrs. Song, who was recently diagnosed with malignant lymphoma, is one of hundreds of believers who are yearly forced to receive 'coercive conversion' in the Republic of Korea. ‘Coercive conversion’ is a vile programme created and implemented by pastors of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) to convert believers of minority belief systems to the CCK's Presbyterian teachings. Pastors evade legal punishment by deceiving family members into believing their loved one has joined a cult, inciting them to drag their own loved one for 'conversion education'. This had led to two deaths in recent years with pastors getting away scot-free.

Back in July 2018 in Gwangju city, Mrs. Song had joined Shincheonji church (full name: Shincheonji Church of Jesus, The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony); a growing church with a congregation of 30,000 believers which the CCK considers a threat to their religious authority. Shortly after, her husband read false rumours online about Shincheonji church and was deceived by coercive conversion pastors into believing that she had joined a cult and needed to undergo conversion education. In April 2019, with the incitement of coercive conversion pastors, he physically abused her, biting her and dragging her from room to room at their family home where she was driven out and left penniless on the streets, separated from her three children. Fortunately, she was able to secure police protection and returned home where her husband, parents and siblings reassured her of their respect for her beliefs. However, they soon began to challenge her beliefs and, on 9th June, she was dragged away to the fifth floor of an established church where she underwent coercive conversion education for a period of nine days.

Immediately, coercive conversion pastors forced her to read lies and watch false reports about Shincheonji church online in an attempt to entice her to consent to receiving conversion education. She refused and demanded that these so-called religious pastors explain the meaning of the Bible - especially Revelation - to her (which Shincheonji church could do). They couldn’t and grabbed her by her hair and trousers, dragged her from room to room and said that Shincheonji church was responsible for her marital breakdown. She went on hunger strike. After a postman read a note that she had slipped under the door, he informed police authorities who stormed into the church building on 18th June. Her health had deteriorated significantly and was taken immediately to hospital for treatment in Cheonan. She had lost 7kg.

On June 27^th, Cheonji Daily visited the church in question to request an interview with the pastor and related personnel, but the church responded by saying that the pastor was absent. Mrs. Song remains in hospital, worried whether her family will plot something else. In South Korea today, there are hundreds of people whose human rights have been violated behind the guise of religion.

To read the full news article (Korean only), click here

⇨https://bit.ly/2xfFqml (‘The Brutal Coercive Conversion Program of the Established Korean Church’)