Fugitive

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.

Several months before his arrest in China, a manhunt for Jeong was launched in Costa Rica. Japanese, Korean, and Costa Rican media reported on the manhunt, which was the first and only time the hunt for Jeong made headlines outside of Asia.

In August 2003 Jeong was tracked down by members of the Korean anti-JMS NGO Exodus who led Hong Kong immigration officials to Jeong. Jeong was arrested for entering Hong Kong illegally, but surprisingly was released on $US100,000 bail. Upon posting bail he promptly, and not very surprisingly, disappeared. He would remain at large until May 2007.