Members of the Christian Gospel Mission (CGM) have filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix US headquarters in a district court of pertinent jurisdiction. The Rev. Dong-Won Kwak of the Church Council said the following, “Even while the investigation into Pastor Jung Myung-Seok was ongoing, the program was broadcast, portraying the Mission as a corrupt and fanatical group. In the end, Pastor Jung became the victim of a witch trial by public opinion and was sentenced to a severe prison term. We will hold Netflix accountable for creating negative public opinion by sensationalizing and airing only the one-sided claims of anti-JMS activists and complainants.”
On August 19, the Sunday Times reported that the Church Council had lost its lawsuit against Netflix. This is blatant misinformation and fake news, as the case is still in court, according to CGM’s Church Council.
The Church appealed to the Press Arbitration Committee, which was accepted, and on October 29, the Sunday Times published a report on its website acknowledging that it was a mistake to report the outcome of the Netflix trial.
“In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” Producer Cho Sent To Prosecution For Violating the “Special Act on Sexual Violence”
The Netflix documentary “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” was controversial for its sensationalism shortly after its release. It was because it showed uncensored overly graphic and provocative footage. CGM accused the producer, Cho, of violating Article 14, Paragraph 23 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act of the Special Act on Sexual Violence.
The footage he broadcast was either filmed against Pastor Jung’s will or intentionally reenacted. CGM has consistently maintained that the footage was not related to Pastor Jung.
In response, Producer Cho stated at a press conference that they “did not intentionally use pixelization for the purpose of public interest.” However, after being sent to the prosecutor’s office, he contradicted himself in a statement, saying, “We broadcast the video for public interest, and it was pixelated at a high level.”
There is another problem with the footage in the broadcast: the reenactment was filmed and aired without any context. He created a scenario, but the lack of explanation led to the misunderstanding that the re-enactors were former church members. The constant showing of the re-enactors’ legs and other body parts, more than necessary, led to accusations of objectifying women and sensationalizing the situation.
The Code of Practice for Reporting on Sexual Violence recommends that reporting on sexual harassment and sexual assault should avoid describing in detail how the assault was committed. This is because it could lead to the victim being defined as an object of sexual activity. However, “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” did not take this aspect into consideration at all, leaving the film open to secondary victimization.
“Although Producer Cho continues to claim that the footage was used for public interest and not pixelated for authenticity, the women in the video have suffered harm and their human rights have been grossly violated, including the inability to lead normal social lives,” the experts criticized.
“In fact, the videos that have been edited to make them more lewd have been circulating online, perpetuating secondary victimization. Even if it is for public interest, the consent of the women in the video was not obtained, and the video is more lewd than necessary, so it is not easy to recognize the reason for the justifications.”
CGM Now… Church Members Pray with Unwavering Faith and Stay True to Core Beliefs
Anti-JMS activists estimated that more than 30 percent of the congregation would leave if Pastor Jung was given a heavy sentence. The producer who created ”In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” claimed that more than half of its members had left.
However, even after the Appeals Court ruling, members of the Church have remained undeterred. Various events are still being held at JMS’ Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple. The Rock and Tree Festival in October drew large crowds, as did a healing concert in early November and the World Volleyball Championship basketball tournament. CGM officials said there will continue to be events in Wolmyeongdong after November.
CGM is currently in the midst of a 40-day prayer of repentance. In his closing statement at the appeal hearing, Pastor Jung Myung-Seok said, “I granted all their requests, but I could not comply when it came to the matter of love. Even now, I am praying for the accusers,” he said. Rather than blaming the anti-JMS activists, church members are also reflecting on their own spirituality and striving to restore their faith through deep prayer and being faithful to their core beliefs.
Seong-Pil Hong, Reporter
