“73-Day Coercive Conversion Programme in Confinement for Attending Shincheonji Church - I Fled Mid-winter through the Bathroom Window”

On 28th December 2020, Cheonji Daily published an article in Korean entitled "73-Day Coercive Conversion Programme in Confinement for Attending Shincheonji Church - I Fled Mid-winter through the Bathroom Window”. This is a translation of that report.

The once unknown term 'forced conversion' became a serious topic in South Korean society in 2008 after Pastor Yong-Sik Jin sent Mrs. Baek-Hyang Jeong to a psychiatric ward in order to carry out forced conversion. He was later punished by law. At that time Pastor Jin, who headed up the Heresy Investigation Committee of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), forcibly converted believers who belonged to denominations of the established church labelled so-called 'cults', including Mrs. Jeong’s. Such cases began to rise in leaps and bounds. At first, pastors carried out ‘forced conversion’ (also termed ‘deprogramming’ or ‘coercive conversion’) themselves, but later altered their approach. Today, forced conversion pastors instil fear and anxiety in the families of Shincheonji Church members by slandering Shincheonji Church, so that families are deceived into believing their beloved child, wife or parent has fallen into a ‘cult’ and are prone to making immediate hasty decisions. In order to prevent this, forced conversion programs tainted by illegal practices that include kidnap, confinement and violence become the 'last straw' to save the family. In 21st century South Korea, where issues around religious freedom have been brought to the limelight, ‘forced conversion’ continues unabated. This paper intends to serialise the distressing appeals of victims who have had to endure human rights violations and oppression through forced conversion, and are otherwise unable to voice their plea.

"Family unit severed after pastor's intervention
73-day of forced confinement & starvation
Continuation of coercive conversion programmes
Rejected and confined...Fled for my Life"

[Cheonji Ilbo = Reporter Kang Soo-kyung] Coercive conversion is carried out through force, not arbitrarily. Although South Korea enshrines 'religious freedom' within its Constitution, the reality is that believers of minority faiths suffer oppression from their own parents, families and established denominations.

When in this situation, victims attest to practising a faith that has been branded 'heretical' by the majority, with little to no societal support to help them maintain their beliefs. Even amid such a hostile situation, victims of forced conversion refuse to renounce their beliefs and convert.

In addition, minority religions are often held responsible for the brutal and illegal means employed on them such as kidnap, imprisonment and assault. This is cruel and unjust. Sang-don Park (Nam district, Gwangju Metropolitan City), who underwent coercive conversion in confinement for 73 days, is one victim who has appealed. What follows is a full account of Mr. Park's appeal.

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✍️Until November 16th 2014, our family unit was harmonious, living without discord. We depended on and trusted one another. My father ran a business, and my mother was a housewife who devoted herself to taking care of my younger brother and I.

Around 11pm on the 16th, my mother asked me to go to the public bath. As I was outside my home, my Dad suddenly appeared and pushed me into the backseat of my uncle's car. When asked why he was doing this and where we were going, he told me I was being taken to a remote and quiet place to do some serious explaining.

We arrived at an apartment in Geumchon neighbourhood where I was taken inside with the front door barricaded with a sofa by my parents. From that point on, my parents pressured me to receive 'counselling' (coercive conversion).

I refused to consent and had not eaten anything for three days. My parents were never people who would starve their children, but as I watched their change in demeanour, I discovered that someone was controlling my parents from behind the scenes.

On Thursday, November 27th, after constant argument, I agreed to undergo the coercive conversion programme, which delighted my parents as if it were the best news they had ever heard.

On November 30th, Moo Park and Moo Choi came to the apartment, slandering Shincheonji Church and saying that they had been doing this for over 10 years, sarcastically remarking that they had never met any Shincheonji Church congregant who understood the Bible. They coerced me into giving them the answers they wanted.

I asked a question about the book of Revelation, but Mr. Park first told me I had to sign the 'consent form' so he could tell me. I refused. My aunt further prodded me, asking me why I didn't sign, and my mother came in soon after talking with Mr. Park for a while outside the front door.

On December 7th, the following month, two policemen came to the apartment. I was incarcerated there and pleaded with them to let me leave, but the police insisted I make a statement in the living room surrounded by my family, saying that they would listen and judge the situation. I pleaded my case. After talking to my family in the living room for a short while, the police left and never came back.

My family then dragged me to a studio in Ssangchon neighbourhood so that I would not be discovered by the police. Even there, my family kept pushing me to consent to the coercive conversion programme. Every time I tried to escape, I was restrained and forced back down. I was distraught by the change in the demeanour of my family and relatives, and my anger burned towards the conversion pastors who had orchestrated this.

On the 31st of the same month, all studio access points had been sealed and were filled with mould between the walls so I was once again relocated to a house in Sotae neighbourhood. My family swore and beat me as I endured the coercive conversion programme.

Before receiving orders from the conversion pastor, my parents treated me with respect and never hit me. However, my parents' demeanour after meeting the conversion pastor was radically different, and seeing them tirelessly urging me to consent to the coercive conversion made me so sad and distressed.

Time passed by.

On Wednesday, January 28th 2015, at around noon, while my mother was out, I told my aunt that I needed the bathroom. With scissors in hand, I passed by the kitchen and entered the bathroom. The bathroom windows were very small, and the window hooks were tightly tied with rubber bands so that no one could open them. I climbed up, reached out, cut the rubber band with scissors and opened the window. I barely passed through, scrunched up in my sleeping pants.

As a citizen of the Republic of Korea, I have the right to protection under Article 20 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, which states, “All citizens shall enjoy freedom of religion”. Yet for 73 days, my most basic rights were utterly disregarded, and this heinous coercive conversion programme continues unabated in South Korea.

Conversion pastors use victims' parents as instruments for financial profit and are the main culprits in wrecking the harmonious family unit through their seed of lies and deception. I sincerely appeal for the abolishment of this inhumane and illegal coercive conversion programme so that there are no more victims in Korea, where freedom of religion is guaranteed, and for conversion pastors to be punished according to the law.

Source: http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=813224

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Cases of Coercive Conversion (also known as 'Forced Conversion' or 'Deprogramming')

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