Court orders JMS leader Jung Myung-seok and church to pay victims 370 million won
In short
The Daejeon District Court on October 8 ordered Jung Myung-seok (정명석), 81, leader of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), and the church to jointly pay three female followers he sexually abused a total of 370 million won plus interest. A Hong Kong national identified as Maple is to receive 250 million won, an Australian identified as Amy 80 million won and a South Korean woman 40 million won; JMS second-in-command Kim Ji-seon (김지선) must pay 30 million won of Maple's award jointly with them.
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The Daejeon District Court on October 8 ordered Jung Myung-seok (정명석), 81, leader of the Christian Gospel Mission, commonly known as JMS, and the church to pay damages to female followers he sexually abused, Yonhap reported. The court's 12th Civil Division, presided over by Judge Im Seong-sil (임성실), ruled in a suit brought by three female followers: Maple, a Hong Kong national, Amy, an Australian national, and a South Korean woman identified as A. The defendants were Jung, the church and Kim Ji-seon (김지선), 48, described as JMS's second-in-command. [ 1 , 3 ]
The court ordered Jung and the church to jointly pay Maple 250 million won plus interest, Amy 80 million won plus interest and A 40 million won plus interest. It also ordered Kim to pay 30 million won plus interest of the amount owed to Maple, jointly with Jung and the church. Yonhap put the total at 370 million won; Chosun Ilbo described it as several hundred million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Jung was indicted on charges of sexually abusing Maple and the other followers between February 2018 and September 2021 at places including the church's retreat in Wolmyeong-dong, Jinsan-myeon, Geumsan County, South Chungcheong Province, and the Supreme Court confirmed a 17-year prison sentence. He was also found guilty of making false accusations by filing counter-complaints with police claiming the foreign followers had falsely accused him of sex crimes. Yonhap described the offences against Maple as indecent assault or sexual molestation, while CBS NoCut News described them as indecent assault or rape. [ 1 , 3 ]
Kim, described as Jung's successor, was indicted for taking part in Jung's quasi-sexual-assault offences in March and April 2018, received a seven-year sentence at first instance that became final, and is in prison, according to Yonhap and CBS NoCut News. [ 1 , 3 ]
The three plaintiffs filed the suit in 2024, with Maple seeking 500 million won and Amy and A seeking about 150 million won and 100 million won respectively. Their lawyer said at the time that the church and its executives had taken part in Jung's sexual crimes in an organised way and aided the illegal acts, and that the claims also reflected serious secondary harm inflicted on the victims during the investigation, Yonhap reported. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The ruling adds civil liability for the church as an organisation to Jung's criminal conviction, for which he is serving a 17-year sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court. Two of the three plaintiffs are foreign nationals, from Hong Kong and Australia.
Key facts
- The 12th Civil Division of the Daejeon District Court, presided over by Judge Im Seong-sil (임성실), ruled on October 8 in a damages suit brought by three female followers against Jung Myung-seok, the JMS church and Kim Ji-seon. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jung and the church must jointly pay Maple, a Hong Kong national, 250 million won plus interest. [ 1 , 3 ]
- They must pay Amy, an Australian national, 80 million won and a South Korean follower identified as A 40 million won, each plus interest. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Kim Ji-seon, 48, described as JMS's second-in-command, must pay 30 million won plus interest of Maple's award jointly with Jung and the church. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jung, 81, is serving a 17-year prison sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court for sexual offences against female followers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The plaintiffs filed the suit in 2024, seeking about 500 million won for Maple, 150 million won for Amy and 100 million won for A. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Daejeon District Court ordered Jung Myung-seok and the JMS church to pay damages to followers he sexually abused. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Jung and the church must jointly pay Maple 250 million won, Amy 80 million won and A 40 million won, each plus interest. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Kim Ji-seon must pay 30 million won of Maple's award jointly with Jung and the church. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jung's 17-year prison sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The plaintiffs filed the damages suit in 2024. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Jung, the church or Kim will appeal the ruling. None of the documents mentions an appeal or any response from the defendants.
- How the criminal offences against Maple are described. Yonhap describes them as indecent assault or sexual molestation, while CBS NoCut News describes them as indecent assault or rape.
- The church and its executives took part in Jung's crimes in an organised way. This is the plaintiffs' lawyer's claim made when the suit was filed, reported only by Yonhap; the documents do not say whether the court accepted it.