I Became a Victim of "Coercive Conversion" in South Korea Because I'm a Member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus

On 4th January 2021, Cheonji Daily published an article in Korean entitled “I Became a Victim of 'Coercive Conversion' in South Korea Because I'm a Member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus”. 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.

Young man in his early 30s in Ulsan: “Drawn to my sister's home through deception to undergo coercive conversion”
Female youth from Gwangju victim at Hwasun motel “Kidnapped & Confined Through Coercive Conversion Programme”

[Cheonji Ilbo = Reporter Kang Soo-kyung] Why do families of Shincheonji Church members have such antipathy towards Shincheonji Church?

According to the testimony of a number of victims, the cause is found in the content of the coercive conversion programmes that 'conversion pastors' deliver to their families.

First of all, the data is full of slanderous and groundless accusations, claiming that Shincheonji Church is an organisation that causes serious problems. In addition, 'conversion pastors' (otherwise named 'priest' or 'vicar' by their congregation) who deliver this content are unable to find any value in Christianity.

Shincheonji Church victims of the programme point out that cursing and personal attacks against its Chairman, who comes third after God and Jesus, are far from the Christian spirit of ‘Love your enemies.’

In addition, personal abuse and criticism that victims had to take on because of their wish to continue living their life of faith at Shincheonji Church, has left them with an indelible wound, as evidenced by  35-year-old Mr. Ho-jun Ahn (Dal neighbourhood, Nam district, Ulsan) and Ms. Ji-yeon Park (Nam district, Gwangju Metropolitan City). The following is the full account of their appeal.

                =============================================================

◆“'Coercive Conversion' Given at my Sister's Home in Busan”
My name is Hojun Ahn. I am 35 years old and come from Ulsan.

First of all, thank you for taking your precious time to read this article.

The reason I am posting this appeal is to inform you about my experiences in South Korea, where human rights and religious freedoms are 'guaranteed'.

On February 20th 2015, I went to Busan (Myeongji neighbourhood) to enjoy an evening meal with my family at a restaurant. That night, I slept at my sister's home.

I awoke the next morning to hear my mother's voice by my side, saying, "We're going to meet a church pastor. Listen to what he has to say."

My mother knew of my life of faith at Shincheonji Church. After hearing rumours, my mother's thoughts about my faith dramatically changed.

I felt anxious because I knew this would be a coercive conversion programme. I told her, “I won't listen to a single word the pastor will say,” and looked for my mobile phone to contact a church friend, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

As I later learned, 'Pastor A', who manages the coercive conversion programmes in Busan, informed my mother to take my mobile phone and purse to cut all contact with the outside world. 

Stuck at home, I underwent the coercive conversion programme in front of my entire family. 'Pastor A' conducted the programme by showing me various slanderous materials about my faith,

When my family listened to it, they genuinely believed I belonged to a cult, telling me, "Your faith belongs to the devil", and, "You're out of your mind". They were enraged and told me to wake up from my slumber.

Since childhood, I had never seriously rebelled against my parents and we lived in mutual trust. That broke down through 'Pastor A's' programme and my parents stopped listening to me.

We have been unable to resolve the issue through open dialogue so I returned to Ulsan. I no longer go to Busan. My family's behaviour and criticism was overwhelming, and I'm unable to entertain the thought of having to undergo the coercive conversion programme again.

'Pastor A' runs these programmes for financial gain. Please punish him according to the law. He is responsible for the breakdown in trust between our family, turning us against each other and inflicting irreparable wounds. Please ensure there are no more victims.

                =============================================================

◆“31-day Confinement at Hwasun Pension to Undergo 'Coercive Conversion'”
Hello,

I am writing this article to inform the government of the Republic of Korea, the public and the judiciary of human rights abuses inflicted by coercive (forced) conversion 'counselling', and to appeal for unlawful, avaricious 'conversion pastors', who hide behind religion, to be legally punished.

The Korean Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. However, there are no legal penalties for these 'conversion pastors' who engage in coercive conversion. This is because they give direct instruction to families from behind the scenes to kidnap, confine and abuse their victim.

In February 2015, I was kidnapped and detained for 31 days at a motel in Hwasun, where I had to forcefully undergo coercive conversion from a church evangelist and secretary in Gwangju.

I was held at the site of coercive conversion with my parents next to me for three hours a day. The secretary stressed to my parents that I would not be counselled or "educated" unless I renounced my faith and adopted hers. I refused to do so for which I suffered domestic violence. My parents' demeanour radically changed after meeting a conversion pastor and making abusive personal attacks against Shincheonji Church.

I told my family that I would no longer attend Shincheonji Church, but my family who had been indoctrinated by this conversion pastor said they needed to learn more about Presbyterian doctrine. So they moved me to a nearby studio near 'Church B' where they confined me for seven more days, then I underwent coercive conversion a second time by 'Pastor D', who is senior pastor of 'Church B'. After listening to this pastor's teachings, family members who had trusted each other were filled with distrust after intervention by the pastor of 'Church B'.

I have done no wrong attending Shincheonji Church. My parents kidnapped and imprisoned their own child because of the lies of a conversion pastor. I am heartbroken to think of the pain inflicted on so many recipients of coercive conversion due to the malicious and cunning behaviour of conversion pastors.

I hope that the media, the government of the Republic of Korea, and the judiciary will reveal the truth about the perpetrators of the coercive conversion programmes and their money-making business. I sincerely ask you to urgently punish conversion pastors - religious scammers - so that the human rights of the people of this country are upheld and victims' sufferings resolved.

Thank you.

Source: http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=815295

 =============================================================

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

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