Aftereffects of ‘I Am God’ hit the broadcasting industry

Netflix's 8-part documentary 'I Am God: The People God Betrayed' is making waves throughout society. The public is outraged after watching the documentary that details the terrible atrocities committed by the cult and its leader. The ripple effect continues into the broadcasting industry. Those in the broadcasting industry are also suspected of being JMS. Additionally, the story of how some broadcasters almost became targets of JMS is being reexamined.

On the 10th, a press conference was held at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, with PD Cho Seong-hyun, who directed the Netflix documentary 'I Am God'.

A documentary that tracks those who say 'I Am God' is the 'Messiah' and the events and people behind them. It consists of episodes such as ‘JMS, Brides of God’, ‘The Five Oceans, 32 Dead Bodies and God’, ‘Children’s Garden, In Search of Paradise’, and ‘The Man Who Became the God of All People’. Among these, the episode dealing with the true identity of JMS Jeong Myeong-seok is causing particular stir.

JMS President Myungseok Jeong was arrested and indicted on charges of committing sexual violence (quasi-rape, quasi-rape, quasi-rape, forcible molestation, forcible molestation) against two female believers on 17 occasions from 2018 to 2019, and was sentenced to the 12th Division of the Daejeon District Court Criminal Agreement (Presiding Judge Sang-hoon Na). ) is on trial. Previously, President Chung was sentenced to 10 years in prison on similar charges in April 2009 and was released in February 2018. Immediately after his release from prison, he was arrested and handed over to trial in October last year on charges of forcibly molesting or quasi-raping a female Hong Kong citizen on a total of 17 occasions at a training center in Geumsan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, between February 2018 and September 2021.

Producer Jo Seong-hyun confessed, "There are victims of cults among my family. There are victims among my friends right next to me. It was my own story, not someone else's. It was a topic like atonement that I had to deal with at any time."

Viewers responded that they could not bear to see the explicit production, including exposed breasts, exposed body hair, and corpses of people who committed suicide with only their faces mosaiced. Regarding this, PD Cho emphasized, "This is not a movie or entertainment show, but the fact that someone actually suffered. Please pay attention to that." Also, “I think that if we don’t show the facts as they are, we will build another defense for the people inside. If we show it very clearly, I think at least one or two of the people inside will understand the facts and come out.” said. He also said, "As for the provocativeness, are there people who see that and think it's sex appeal? It's such a terrible and ugly thing. Mr. Myungseok Jung may have felt it was provocative when he saw it, but I think men and women in general would feel devastated when they see it."

Recently, it was revealed that DKZ Kyungyoon's parents were JMS believers and ran a cafe related to the religion. In response to this, the agency said, "As a result of checking with DKZ member Kyungyoon's family about the business run by his family, Kyungyoon went to the normal church that his parents attend until he confirmed many people's reports and broadcast contents about the specific organization. “I was aware of it, and I have never encountered or been aware of any content related to the broadcast,” he explained. In addition, "As soon as he learned of the fact today, Gyeongyoon also checked the contents of the broadcast and was astonished. The business run by his family immediately suspended business," he said. “I tell you clearly that there will be no such thing,” he said.

Former announcer Kim Sung-kyung and broadcaster Jeong Ga-eun's confession that they almost became targets of JMS's evangelism in the past is garnering attention again. Kim Seong-kyung shared her dizzying experience of almost being taken over by JMS on TV Chosun's 'Strong Enemies' in 2014. A college senior tried to evangelize him, but his words and actions were suspicious, so he did not go to the evangelizing church. I found out later that the senior in question was JMS.

On the SBS entertainment show 'Strong Heart' broadcast on February 9, 2010, Jeong Ga-eun shared her experience at a modeling academy during her college years under the topic of 'Sacred Walking for Him.' Jeong Ga-eun, who wanted to learn model walking but was worried about academy fees, found an art group that taught walking at a low price. About two or three months after learning how to walk, Jeong Ga-eun went to meet her ‘teacher’ at the encouragement of academy officials. He confessed, "The man who was called the teacher was sitting in a place that appeared to be outdoors wearing only a swimsuit. What was even more surprising was that several women were gathered around the teacher wearing only swimsuits to receive the teacher's 'pleasure'." Also, when Jeong Ga-eun was told that her neck and back hurt during walking class, she said, "I took her to the teacher, saying, 'If the teacher touches it once, it will get better,' but the teacher wasn't there at the time, so I wasted it." Jeong Ga-eun confessed, “I was surprised to see it introduced as a pseudo-religious group on a TV current affairs documentary program later,” and “I was shocked to learn that many women had suffered sexual harm from the cult leader, who was a teacher.”

Professor Kim Do-hyung of Dankook University, who is the head of the anti-JMS group 'Exodus' that has been tracking it for over 30 years, appeared on KBS1's 'The Live' broadcast live on the 9th and exposed the true nature of JMS. Professor Kim appeared on 'I Am God' and testified that his father was terrorized by JMS believers due to his activities, and that even the plastic surgeon where his father was supposed to undergo surgery at the time was a JMS believer.

At the press conference, PD Cho said, "I also heard that it was inside MBC. 'Why is information being leaked like this?' “When I did it, I doubted whether he was on the team and asked Netflix to check to see if he was also on the team,” he confessed. He said, "It could be anywhere. But are we going to hunt down those people? They just chose their religion. If those people don't cause harm to society, it could become a witch hunt. The fault is not the people who believe in that religion, but the religion." “It is the cult leaders and the people above them who create and lead people astray,” he emphasized.

While the shocking atrocities of pseudo-religions are being spotlighted, traces of JMS infiltrating the broadcasting industry are also being discovered. As PD Cho said, there is a need to be aware of the fact that while severe punishment will be imposed on cultists, witch-hunting of victims or unsuspecting celebrities must be avoided during the search process.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr