The JMS Cult - Jeong Myeong-seok: Heaven's Rapist

In September 2009, the Chinese government produced a 33-minute documentary about Jeong Myeong-seok and his cult.  The documentary is important because it shows for the first time footage of Jeong in police custody in China and also for the first time footage offering glimpses into Jeong's lifestyle while a fugitive in China.

Thanks to Korea Beat for translating this Korean article concerning another decision against Jeong.

On April 23, 2009 Jeong ran out of appeals as the Supreme Court of Korea upheld the 10 year sentence handed down by a lower court on February 10 which added 4 years to the original 6 years handed to Jeong on August 12,

On August 12, 2008 Jeong was found guilty of raping his female followers.

A JMS member made legal history in Korea by becoming the first former prosecutor to be denied a lawyer's license. Mr. Lee was dismissed from his job as prosecutor for threatening Jeong's critics and victims and for providing Jeong with confidential information regarding his victims and the investigations into his crimes.

On Wednesday February 20, 2008, Jeong Myeong-seok set foot on Korean soil for the first time since he fled rape allegations almost ten years earlier. The following is one of several articles published at the time, and below is a news clip from SBS (Korean) TV showing Jeong's arrival at Incheon airport.

Religious sect leader formally arrested on rape charges SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Yonhap)

The Donga-A Ilbo newspaper reported on January 15 that on Monday January 14, JMS cultists broke into their Seoul office and demanded the removal of articles critical of their leader Jeong Myeong-seok. The article states Jeong was hiding in China at the time, but that was incorrect. Jeong was arrested in China in early May 2007 and China approved his extradition on January 2, 2008.

After some 8 years a fugitive - and after a lucky escape from Hong Kong in 2003, Jeong's fugitive existence finally came to an end in early May 2007. The Australian newspaper was one of the first to confirm Jeong's arrest: