Suvechha Sarkar
Episodes 3 and 4 of Netflix’s ‘The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies’ bring the spotlight on the notorious Jesus Morning Star (JMS) cult leader, Jeong Myeong-Seok, and his second-in-command, Kim Ji-sun AKA Jeong Jo-Eun. The documentary delves deep into the manipulation within the cult, where Jo-Eun played a pivotal role in executing its operations while the leader was in prison. As the investigation intensified, it uncovered her involvement in coercion and covering up the sexual assault crimes by the leader. It also provides emotional interviews with the survivors, former members, and workers of JMS.
Jeong Jo-Eun Became the Proxy of Jeong Myeong-Seok Within the JMS Cult
Jeong Myeong-Seok founded the cult Jesus Morning Star (JMS) or Providence (also known as Christian Gospel Mission) in 1980, with its headquarters in Wol Myeong-dong, South Korea. He conducted several religious programs and preached his teachings, claiming to be the “Messiah.” In 1998, Jeong Jo-Eun, originally named Kim Ji-sun, joined the cult while she was still in high school. According to reports, her service for the leader began through the Myeongdong mission group. When Myeong-Seok faced charges of sexual crimes in 1999, he fled the country and took refuge in places like Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. During that time, Jo-Eun had followed him since 2002 and had reportedly helped him recruit girls. She was reportedly responsible for recruiting “tall girls” with “nice bodies.”
It was revealed that Jo-Eun trained the girls and decided who would be sent to Myeong-Seok, reportedly to spend the night. He was arrested in Beijing, China, in February 2008 and was extradited to South Korea, where he was convicted of quasi-indecent forced molestation and sexual assault. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2009, and the Supreme Court upheld the judgment on April 23, 2009. During those 10 years, Jo-Eun regularly visited him in prison alone and became his proxy for the congregation. She claimed in the programs that the leader was innocent and then expanded JMS’ reach after taking up operations as the group’s second-in-command. Furthermore, through her dabbling in music, international tours/programs, as well as meet and greets, she reportedly also gained a lot of money from the direct donations made by followers.
By the time Myeong-Seok was released on February 18, 2018, Jo-Eun ran everything herself, and all the workers reported to her. The investigation uncovered that she allegedly controlled which girls Myeong-Seok could meet following his release. Some of the members reportedly revealed that Jo-Eun personally interviewed the women, who were to be sent to Myeong-Seok. It turned out that she often used text messages to contact those women. However, he was again indicted on October 4, 2022, for sexually assaulting his two followers, Maple Ying Tung Yip from Hong Kong and another woman from Australia.
Jeong Jo-Eun Has Been Brought to Justice and is Serving Her Time in Prison Today
During one of her sessions after the indictment in 2022, Jo-Eun said, “It’s a little difficult and scary, but we must be courageous and look at the truth… If there is a past mistake, the best opportunity to clear it is now. Overlooking it and being silent are acts that sink the ship of history. The judicial institution will proceed fairly in accordance with evidence and legal procedures.” Jo-Eun alleged that she tried her best to prevent the leader from committing sexual assault and claimed that she “prevented women from getting within a 3-meter radius next to the teacher.” She alleged that her relationship with Myeong-Seok had deteriorated over time, and she claimed to have even screamed at him. Ultimately, Jo-Eun was indicted on the charge of abetting forced molestation and aiding and abetting the quasi-rape of Maple Ying Tung Yip.
Although Jo-Eun denied the charges, she was ultimately convicted based on Maple’s testimony that in one of the instances, Jo-Eun reportedly handed her “pajamas” and had said, “Sleep here and protect the Lord.” It was also noted that she acquired monetary gains by siding with and working with Myeong-Seok. She was finally sentenced to 7 years in prison on October 20, 2023, at the 12th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court. Although her conviction and sentencing were appealed, the district and the High Court both upheld her judgment. On October 8, 2024, the Supreme Court reportedly dismissed Jo-Eun’s appeal and upheld her original judgment of 7 years in prison.
Following her release, Jo-Eun has to undergo 80 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and faces 10 years of employment restriction. Furthermore, in relation to the exact same case, there were also other co-defendants. While the 52-year-old JMS civil-affairs director was sentenced to three years in prison, another JMS staff member received an 18-month prison sentence with three years of suspension. Moreover, two of the other aides who had been convicted during the initial trial were acquitted, and their judgment was upheld by the Supreme Court. Myeong-Seok was initially sentenced to 23 years in prison on December 22, 2023, which was later reduced to 17 years on October 2, 2024. On January 9, 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and upheld the 17-year verdict. As of writing, Jo-Eun is serving her time at a prison facility in South Korea.
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