Published by Moon Il Seok, Article Input 2023-10-05
Original article in Korean: Here
▲The cover of the author’s book. © Break News
The book titled “I’m Going to Meet Jeong Myeong Seok,” which traces the case of Pastor JMS Jeong Myeong Seok, authored by Moon Il Seok, has entered the bestsellers list at Seoul’s Kyobo Bookstore in Gwanghwamun.
According to Kyobo Bookstore, the book entered the weekly bestsellers list on October 5th, ranking 15th in the essay category. (It was October 4th.)
▲ Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok praying. © Break News
This book focuses on the case of Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok as a victim of excessive coverage and tracking by the Korean media. Surprisingly, the book has received a strong response in the publishing market. While Korean media outlets have been reporting that Pastor JMS Jeong Myeong Seok sexually assaulted 10,000 women, these claims have been debunked as fake news. The book’s popularity lies in the timely articles written by the author addressing these issues. It’s a happy development for the author personally, but it’s also a sad societal phenomenon that highlights the inadequacies of the Korean media.
It’s just a thought, but what if this book takes the number one spot in sales at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Kyobo Bookstore? What could happen then? I predict that it will have a transformative effect on the image of Pastor JMS Jeong Myeong Seok, who is a victim of media sensationalism. I hope this will demonstrate how valuable a journalist who records the facts can be.
▲ The author showing V signs as a victory. © Break News
Even the biblical recorders of Jesus 2000 years ago were “biblical journalists.” Today, in the highly publicized case of Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok, which is a landmark religious trial in Korea, the recorders of this trial are also journalists. The author is the publisher and journalist for this news (Break News Publisher) and the author of “Secret Memoirs of the Central Intelligence Agency” (all three volumes).
The author is a journalist with 50 years of experience. So why did this author get involved in such a nuanced religious trial? The author merely recorded the facts that are currently unfolding.
In the prologue of this book, the author argued, “It would be nice if you could understand the profound impact of the media’s exaggerated and distorted reporting on an individual through empirical or factual records.”
In the epilogue, the author emphasized, “Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok is by no means an anti-establishment figure. He is a devout Christian who has faith in Jesus and the Christian Bible. He is a “love advocate,” tirelessly spreading the spirit of love advocated by Jesus to the world. He is a “peace advocate” who had experienced the nobility of peace firsthand through his service in the Vietnam War. He is a “nature advocate” who has been involved in a church movement in nature rather than being focused on building churches as physical structures. He is also a stabilizing force who is a proponent of global freedom.”
▲ Book display shelves in Kyobo Book Store. ©Break News
<<Below is the full text of the prologue and epilogue from the book “I’m Going to Meet Jeong Myeong Seok”>>
During wartime, traps are employed. I once visited Village, located about 25km away from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Village was a rural village. Underground, there were extensive tunnels, totaling about 250km in length, built for combat. This area was in northern Vietnam and served as a strategic focal point during the Vietnam War. Many casualties were inflicted on U.S. forces here, mainly due to traps and traps within traps. As a result, the U.S. military conducted indiscriminate bombing raids on this region using fighter planes.
The North Vietnamese soldiers (Viet Cong) created traps in various locations near these tunnels. And beneath these traps, they set up booby traps. Underneath the traps, they placed sharp and pointed iron spikes (with the tip of the spikes facing upwards), densely packed and countless in number. When an enemy soldier fell into one of these traps, upon falling, they would be instantly pierced by the iron spikes. The surroundings of the booby traps were filled with decaying cow dung and urine to rot. The moment one fell into these traps, they would be impaled on the iron spikes, and the decomposed cow dung and urine would seep into their wounds, causing them to groan in pain and eventually leading to their death. It was a gruesome form of a booby trap (boobytrap = a simple device or trap used to kill or incapacitate people, typically in military situations).
One day, out of nowhere, news about Jeong Myeong Seok sexually assaulting 10,000 women suddenly became a sensation. I am someone who has been a journalist for 50 years now. When I encountered such a shocking news story in this modern age, doubts emerged in my mind like a thunderbolt. At that moment, I wondered, “Could it really be true?” The suspicion arose suddenly, like a thunderclap. From then on, I couldn’t shake the thought that Jeong Myeong Seok might have fallen into a trap. The image of traps in the tunnels of the village during the Vietnam War came to mind. So, I concluded that I had to write this.
Could it be that, just like the traps the Viet Cong set during the Vietnam War, there’s a trap, a trap-like situation, that Jeong Myeong Seok has fallen into? That’s the starting point of my challenging and painstaking writing process. Whether you call it a true-life novel or an on-the-scene report by a journalist, my writing journey began with such a catalyst.
Why did I write this piece? This record may seem excessively biased or somewhat repetitive in its content. (Please do not blame me for that. The situation is complicated, distorted, and exaggerated, so there’s nothing I could do). But please understand that it’s a factual record of how the media’s exaggeration and distortion of one individual can have far-reaching consequences.
So, “I’m going to meet Jeong Myeong Seok.” This is my destiny as a journalist. After this, there’s no law preventing similar incidents related to the media from happening again. Therefore, be cautious of the media! It’s “inaccessible from up-close, unreachable from afar.” Getting too close will burn you, and staying too far away will freeze you.
Finally, during my journalism career, I’ve used two names. “Moon Il Seok” is my real name, and my pen name is “Park Jeong Dae.” The meaning of my pen name, “Park Jeong Dae,” is “Let’s live strongly and righteously.” This is my pen name. Hahaha…
<<Below is the full text of the epilogue from “I’m Going to Meet Jeong Myeong Seok.”>>
The Christian Gospel Mission Church (JMS) – Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok is a stabilizing force of global freedom.
-What kind of influence/force is the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok? It may be questioned because of the increasing social criticism and suppression, whether they are an anti-establishment force.
Looking at the ideology of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok, they are fundamentally based on the love and peace spirit of American Protestantism, which is the dominant ideology in modern Korean society. Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok is from Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Chungcheong Province is the base of moderation. He was born and raised in the moderation region. During his military service, he was discharged twice to the Vietnam War and is a patriotic military man who served honorably. There is no record of him participating in any anti-establishment protests.
From the above information, it is clear that Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok is by no means an anti-establishment figure. He is a devout Christian who has faith in Jesus and the Christian Bible. He is a “love advocate,” tirelessly spreading the spirit of love advocated by Jesus to the world. He is a “peace advocate” who experienced the nobility of peace firsthand through his service in the Vietnam War. He is a “nature advocate” who has been involved in a church movement in nature rather than being focused on building churches as physical structures. He is also a stabilizing force who is a proponent of the global freedom system.
However, why is the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok facing challenges? What could be the reasons for this? It could be that they faced intense and meticulous containment efforts by entrenched religious forces that believe in the dogma of power. Lions fall because of the bugs inside their bodies. The Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok could have fallen into traps set by internal dissenting forces.
The fact that there are “traps” set by unseen forces is a definite reality.
The “Manhattan Project” was the entity that created atomic bombs. In August 1945, the atomic bombs dropped on Japan brought victory in the war to the United States. After that, scientists who had been involved in the “Manhattan Project” became targets of surveillance and repression by U.S. intelligence agencies. Oppenheimer was among them. Rajneesh, who had spread Indian meditation to the United States, was also a target of surveillance and repression. Comedian Charlie Chaplin was also labeled as a sympathizer of communism and was deported from the United States.
What kind of trap has the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok fallen into? The Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok must identify the true nature of the trap and escape from it.
Former South Korean President Kim Dae Joong was a political figure who established democracy in South Korea. He advocated for the “conscience in action.” The Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) Pastor Jeong Myeong Seok should act to dismantle the traps surrounding him! Everyone should join forces and take action!
Email: moonilsuk@naver.com
