Peaceful rally orderly held even in the sweltering 35°C heat
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, focusing on proclaiming Pastor Jung Myeong Seok’s innocence and truth
[FOCUS News, written by Ryu Jae Bok]
http://www.yjb0802.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=35524
On July 29th, at 6 p.m., in front of Jongno’s Bosingak, Seoul, more than 1,000 members of the Christian Gospel Mission Church (JMS) were fervently holding pickets and raising their voices in response to a truck convoy adorned with banners that read, “Thoroughly Investigate MBC’s Manipulated Video” and “Appealing Against the Unjust Accusations on Pastor Jung Myeong Seok.” They passionately recited their appeals while chanting slogans in unison.
Despite the scorching 35°C heat and the outdoor activity ban, the members remained orderly and steadfast, passionately following the organizers’ instructions during the peaceful demonstration.
Examining the picket slogans held by these members, there were numerous fervent appeals to proclaim Pastor Jung Myeong-seok’s innocence and truth. Some of the slogans included: “We cannot tolerate biased commercial broadcasting aimed at shaping public opinion,” “Is the media interested in the truth? Investigate and write articles accordingly,” “God judges according to their deeds as He wasn’t able to bear the sight of it,” “It is really strange that the original recordings were deleted,” “Exclude planned false media trials,” “Do not believe false witnesses, listen to genuine testimonies,” “Thousands of us in our organization are the real witnesses,” “A trial without original evidence is baseless,” “Why are they tearing apart Pastor Jung Myeong Seok who is innocent?” “Is this a fabrication-oriented media? That’s why accidents happen.” These slogans, alongside others, clearly expressed their deep commitment to spreading awareness about Pastor Jung Myeong Seok’s innocence and the truth.
Following the rally on July 16th, consecutive gatherings took place on July 23rd and July 29th, constituting the third round of protests. All the members had determined expressions on their faces. On the 24th, they also held a demonstration in front of the Daejeon District Court, demanding that Pastor Jung Myeong Seok’s trial be based on evidence, not public opinion.
On this day as well, the members held banners stating, “Demand an apology from the documentary production team that broadcast manipulated recordings worldwide,” “Condemn anti-JMS activists for tarnishing Pastor Jung Myeong Seok’s honor,” and “Manipulated core evidence in the form of recorded conversations.” They emphasized that the ongoing trial of Pastor Jung Myeong Seok should be conducted fairly. Since the 16th, all rallies and protests have been voluntarily organized by the members, leading up to the decisive judgment of Pastor Jung Myeong Seok’s first trial. The demonstrations initially began with leaflet distribution and operating LED trucks, but starting from the peaceful gathering at Jonggak Bosingak in Seoul on the 16th, they evolved into full-scale protest activities.
Court rejects Pastor Jung’s ‘judge recusal’ request; trial currently temporarily suspended
In response to reporters’ questions about the current situation, all members on the scene attribute it to ‘false media’
Currently, Pastor Jung Myeong Seok’s trial has been temporarily suspended, as it was revealed that the 11th session was postponed after the defense attorney filed a ‘judge recusal’ request with the Daejeon District Court on the 17th. However, the court rejected the recusal request.
On the same day, reporters interviewed some of the members present at the site of the 3rd rally organized by the Christian Gospel Mission Church. They were asked mainly about the cause of the current situation involving Pastor Jung Myeong Seok, and their responses were heard. A person identified as A, who came from Incheon, expressed that the biased and distorted reporting by MBC had tarnished the image of their church and Pastor Jung Myeong Seok. They specifically pointed out that the broadcast deliberately edited and portrayed Pastor Jung, who was among both men and women during worship services or events, as if he were surrounded by only women, presenting him in a misleading and malevolent way, as if there were women-related issues.
Another person, identified as B from Cheongju, shared, “In my sophomore year of high school, during a period of contemplation about my future and struggling with questions of faith, I heard Pastor Jung Myeong-seok’s teachings. His words helped resolve my doubts and uncertainties about the Bible, enabling me to regain lost faith and understanding of God. The media, however, distorted this aspect when they focused primarily on the issue of the opposite sex, making Pastor Jung Myeong-seok appear as a leader with women-related problems.”
During the speeches held at the top and bottom of the truck, the speakers conveyed messages aiming to inform the public about Pastor Jung Myeong-seok’s innocence and the truth. Consequently, occasionally, passersby asked members holding placards for further details about Pastor Jung Myeong-seok. C, a member who came from Wonju, stated, “SBS broadcasted a truly malevolent report on ‘I Want to Know That,’ so we filed a damage compensation lawsuit against them and won. However, since this truth has not been widely known, Pastor Jung Myeong-seok has been unjustly branded as a sexual predator. To inform the world about the truth of our Pastor, we are enduring the heat and holding this rally.”
On this day, a female member who climbed onto the truck stated, “I have been an active member of the Christian Gospel Mission for 13 years,” and continued, “It is completely against common sense that a pastor of a religious organization made a sexual misconduct. Especially, Pastor Jung Myeong-seok emphasized maintaining premarital purity and spiritual love for God and Jesus. The accusers have unjustly pushed Pastor Jung Myeong-seok into suffering with groundless claims, but since there is no evidence, we are appealing to the judiciary for a fair trial.”
In the video footage shown at the rally site on that day, there was a scene where General Chae Myung-shin, who was the Korean Army commander at the Vietnamese War, pointed to Pastor Jung Myeong-seok and praised him, saying, “He was a hero.” He recalled, “Pastor Jung Myeong-seok was an outstanding warrior who, in the battlefield where one had to kill the enemy to survive, preserved peace by not killing the enemy, testifying to the miracles of God he experienced during the Vietnamese War.” Pastor Jung Myeong-seok is a “National Meritorious Warrior of the Vietnamese War,” having miraculously survived 60 near-death situations on the battlefield, which stands as a testament to his extraordinary faith and belief.
Source: FOCUS News (http://www.yjb0802.com)
