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South Korean mega-church leader guilty of raping followers who believed he was God

Lee Jae-rock led a sprawling church that some had denounced as a cult.

A SOUTH KOREAN cult leader has been convicted of the multiple rape of eight female followers — some of whom believed he was God — and jailed for 15 years.

Pastor Lee Jae-rock’s victims were “unable to resist as they were subject to the accused’s absolute religious authority”, judge Chung Moon-sung told the Seoul Central District Court.

Religious devotion is widespread in technologically advanced South Korea, with 44% of people identifying themselves as believers.

Most belong to mainstream churches, which can accumulate wealth and influence with tens of thousands of followers donating as much as 10% of their income.

But fringe groups are also widespread — experts say around 60 people in the country claim to be divine — and some have been implicated in fraud, brainwashing, coercion, and other behaviour associated with cults worldwide.

Lee set up the Manmin Central Church in Guro, once a poor area of Seoul, with just 12 followers in 1982. It has now grown to what is known as a mega-church, with 130,000 members, a spotlight-filled auditorium, a sprawling headquarter , and a website replete with claims of miracle cures.

But three of Lee’s followers went public earlier this year, as South Korea was swept with a wave of #MeToo accusations, describing how he had summoned each of them to an apartment and raped them.

“I was unable to turn him down,” one of them told South Korean television.

“He was more than a king. He was God,” added the woman, who had been a church member since childhood.

Lee told another that she was now in Heaven, and to strip as Adam and Eve went naked in the Garden of Eden. “I cried as I hated to do it,” she told JTBC television.

Eight women laid criminal complaints, and the court found Lee raped and molested them “tens of times” over a long period.

“Through his sermons the accused has indirectly or directly suggested he is the holy spirit, deifying himself,” the judge said.

The victims believed him to be “a divine being who wields divine power”, he added.

Quiet sighs

Lee stood with his eyes closed as the judgement was read, showing no emotion.

The 75-year-old had denied the charges, his lawyers accusing the women of lying to seek vengeance after being excommunicated for breaching church rules.

Around 100 followers filled the courtroom to overflowing, some of them sighing quietly.

But former congregants denounced Lee outside.

“The Manmin Central Church is all about worshipping the pastor Lee Jae-rock,” said Kim Yu-sun, who was a member for 20 years.

“Now that I go to a different church, I worship Jesus and pray to god,” she added. “I’m happy and I like it.”

Second Coming

South Korea has proven fertile ground for religious groups with strong, unambiguous ideologies that offered comfort and salvation, which appealed strongly during times of deep uncertainty.

More recent versions have claimed a unique knowledge of the path to material and spiritual prosperity — a message that resonates in a highly competitive and status-focused society.

According to a 2015 government survey, 28% of South Koreans say they belong to Christian churches, with another 16% describing themselves as Buddhist.

But according to Park Hyung-tak, head of the Korea Christian Heresy Research Institute, around two million people are followers of cults.

“There are some 60 Christian-based cult leaders in this country who claim to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, or God Himself,” he told AFP.

Many cults point to megachurches mired in corruption and other scandals in order to highlight their own presumed purity and attract believers.

On his own website, Lee says that God has “anointed me with His power” but the Manmin Central Church has been condemned as heretical by mainstream Christian organisations, partly because of its claims to miracle healing.

In one example on the church website, Barbara Vollath, a 49-year-old German, said she was born deaf but her bone cancer was cured and she gained hearing in both ears after Lee’s daughter and heiress apparent Lee Soojin prayed for her with a handkerchief he had blessed.

South Korean cults can have deadly consequences: in 1987, 32 members of an apocalyptic group called Odaeyang were found dead at their headquarters after an apparent murder-suicide pact, including its leader, who was under police investigation for embezzlement.

And they can influence the highest reaches of power.

Choi Soon-Sil, the woman at the centre of the corruption scandal that brought down her close friend president Park Geun-Hye, is the daughter of late religious leader Choi Tae-min.

The elder Choi became Park’s spiritual mentor after establishing his own church, Yeongsegyo (‘Spiritual Life’), combining tenets of Buddhism, Christianity and shamanism.

© – AFP 2018

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    Mute David Garland
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:07 PM

    Every home game should be boycotted until Delaney hands back his pension..

    147
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    Mute finbarr walsh
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:45 PM

    @David Garland: how would that help. It would only make things worse.

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    Mute Damien Hawe
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    Jan 7th 2020, 1:08 PM

    @finbarr walsh: It wouldn’t but it might put a bit of pressure on the FAI and show that the fans won’t stand for things to continue the way they are/were. For all the talk from the FAI of changing not a lot has and they continue on with their old tactics of silencing criticism in public forums and avoiding questioning from the government (unless in private and they’re looking for a handout)

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    Mute Damien Hawe
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    Jan 7th 2020, 1:10 PM

    @Damien Hawe: Just to add on that though. Realistically there’s probably not a lot that could be done about the Delaney situation as Delaney would probably bring them to court and get that (and probably more) and it would cost the FAI a fortune in legal fees. Better to take the loss, give him some money and completely shut him out of the organisation.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Jan 7th 2020, 2:07 PM

    @finbarr walsh: Yea sure just keep going to the games and putting your money into Delaneys back pocket.. Every ticket that is sold or jersey bought goes straight towards his pension..

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    Mute Adam J
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    Jan 7th 2020, 3:36 PM

    @finbarr walsh: Drop in an ocean unfortunately, the 500k+ that was squandered on Delaney should never have been paid out but it was cost them more in legal fees to get it back, the money is gone but at least FAI has finally got rid of the tool, hopefully a few more will follow him out.

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    Mute Eug J Cummins
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:21 PM

    Govt will bail them out , just like they bailed out the banks and RTE .

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    Mute Quentin Tarantino
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    Jan 7th 2020, 2:37 PM

    @Eug J Cummins: I suspect you’re right . There’ll be some kind of government help. Personally I think fai should go to the wall

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    Mute Dan
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:28 PM

    What happens to Delaney pension if FAI fold?…does he lose his pension
    What happens if someone bails them out like our government…does he keep his pension?

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    Mute rugbyanbeer
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    Jan 7th 2020, 6:41 PM

    @Dan: So the greedy Board can’t pay themselves their inflated undeserved pensions .Can you imagine the panic around the trough Then comes a request for 18 mil What you think that would be prioritised for?

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    Mute Now or Never
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:07 PM

    Dont be fooled, government will bail them out using the peoples money as per usual, disguised under some sneaky legal wording!

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    Mute Padraig
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:47 PM

    Uefa should be bailing them out. After all, didn’t they tell the government not that long ago to keep their nose out of FAI business.

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Jan 7th 2020, 12:29 PM

    If the Government bail them out, they may as well get millions and burn it. A complete waste.

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    Mute David Glynn
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    Jan 7th 2020, 2:37 PM

    If it was the GAA ! Yes Delaney was a chancer and chalatan. But numerous Sports Ministers hobnobbed with him and journos. Many at his 50th bash. Commentators like Eamon Dunphy who must have known what went on. For years Delaney refused to take questions at AGMs. While living on the hog for over 8 years, staff got no rises and pensions were raided.
    So get rid of the development officers, schoolboy leagues and the struggling teams in the league of Ireland. Is that what you want.
    Get real, a debt of 6o million is less than one player in the premiership. They are looking for support to reform and some guarantee for borrowings.
    We bailed out the Banks and developers.
    A properly run FAI is well worth saving.
    New CEO, new board and proper corporate governance and a change of auditors.

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    Mute Ronny Phelan
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    Jan 7th 2020, 5:14 PM

    @David Glynn: but it’s not the gaa, because that’s a well run sports organization

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    Mute David Glynn
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    Jan 7th 2020, 5:34 PM

    @Ronny Phelan: What about Hickey and the Olympics and his banking help from his butty Douglas in then Irish permanent. Gaa got huge support for redevelopment of Croker which like Aviva support is not begrudged.
    Do you seriously think that if GAA was in trouble the rural TD mafia would not force a bail out.
    FAI deserves support under a new regime. Not money but support through bank guarantees.
    Then they need to go after Delaney and his cronies to see if money can be recouped of foot of financial reports for malfeasance Ronny.

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    Mute Kevin Bury
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    Jan 7th 2020, 5:35 PM

    @Ronny Phelan: cough county boards cough Galway, cork…. sure the ga is great…. can do no wrong

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    Mute Damien Hawe
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    Jan 7th 2020, 1:06 PM

    I wonder who leaked this. It couldn’t possibly be a ploy to pressure the government into handing over money. A lot of sneaky underhand stuff has been tried already.

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    Mute John Brendan Mullen
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    Jan 7th 2020, 5:16 PM

    The FAI is an NGO. It is a private sector entity. As such it must look to the private sector for a private loan, one they will be obliged to repay. The people of Ireland refinanced the banks yet where is their share dividends. ? Surely we won’t allow this to happen again.? Or have we simply given up hope. ?

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    Mute Giuseppe Valente
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    Jan 7th 2020, 7:56 PM

    Shouldn’t be bailed out. Let them collapse for all the obvious reasons. It’ll stop the ludicrous payments to Delaney. It’ll force a rebuild of the organisation from the ground up and finally stop the corruption being sweeped under the carpet. Lets be honest irish football isnt going to lose much in the short term. The teams not exactly top of rankings.
    Only people I’d fell sorry for is the low level employees how lose jobs thanks to the likes of Delaney management team and directors.

    Let it burn.

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    Mute Annaa21iiix
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    Jan 7th 2020, 10:45 PM

    my hot photos are here…

    http://69-chat.club

    only 18+

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