Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series living up to its title in every way conceivable, Netflix’s ‘The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies’ can only be described as equal parts shocking and harrowing. Amongst the cases it covers is that of the Jesus Morning Star (JMS) new religious movement in episodes 3 and 4, especially since its founder and leader Jung Myeong-seok is now a convicted sex offender. His actions first came into the global light back in 2023 in the documentary ‘In The Name Of God: A Holy Betrayal,” wherein survivor Maple opened up about everything she had experienced.
Maple Was Once Entirely Dedicated to JMS
Although born in Canada on March 21, 1994, Maple primarily grew up in Hong Kong, China, surrounded by care and support. According to reports, her parents separated when she was relatively young, but she still had a good relationship with not only them but also her extended family, which really helped her during her teenage years. She was allegedly bullied while in school, so her safe place was her home and the people around her, whether it be her parents, siblings, aunt, or cousins. However, everything turned upside down in 2011 when she was merely 17 years old.
Maple was admittedly walking with her friends and younger sister in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong when she noticed that there was a ceremony going on. She had no idea this was a preaching program by the JMS Church (now better known as the Christian Gospel Mission or Providence religious movement, but she was almost immediately hooked. The pull of it on the young girl was so strong that she soon started devoting all her time to the organization, resulting in her gradually rising in their ranks and becoming well-known within the internal community too.
Maple, or Yip Maple Ying Tung Huen, genuinely believed leader Jung Myeong-Seok to be the Messiah, and her dedication was such that she was soon even leading programs. Whether it be hosting services or public events that were even televised, as seen above, she did it all, only for everything to soon turn upside down. Maple actually left the Church in the late 2010s before coming forward in 2022 to reveal that she had been sexually assaulted by the leader multiple times over the years. She was once considered the “God’s Bride,” but now she wanted nothing to do with the Church.
Maple’s Long Fight for Justice Concluded in Early 2025
While Maple’s initial complaint against the JMS leader was anonymous, she came forward as the accuser via a press conference in March 2022 because she didn’t want to hide away anymore. According to her complaint, she was called into his room one evening by his second in command, Jeong Jo-Eun, and forced to change into “pyjamas” before entering. That’s where she was sexually assaulted for the first time. As per her reports, this carried on for three more years, and each time the pattern was similar, with Jeong Jo-Eun also allegedly convincing her that what she was experiencing was not assault or rape but proof of her dedication to their Messiah.
According to the filing, Maple was not only brainwashed over the years but was also led to act as an enabler to the leader’s crimes when he wanted to pursue other women. In other words, she claimed she was not only assaulted and brainwashed, but also led to recruit other women to face the same fate. She only managed to escape after claiming she wanted to go see her parents at home, and she never returned. The entire ordeal traumatized her, which then continued when she went public with her complaint because she was then allegedly stalked and slandered online and in public.
This was to such an extent that there were times Maple even thought of dropping her lawsuit, but she didn’t because she knew she wasn’t alone, and she wanted others not to feel that way too. After her filing, 21 other women did come forward to join her suit, even if most of them chose to stay anonymous, resulting in Jung Myeong-Seok’s arrest in October of the same year. In the end, the leader was convicted on several counts of assault, for which he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. The 80-year-old tried to appeal, but the Supreme Court dismissed it on January 9, 2025.
Maple is a Creative Who is Focused on Her Future Today
While it’s true that Maple’s fight for justice took a lot out of her owing to the emotional and mental trauma, she is glad she never gave up because now her abusers can’t hurt anyone else. She is also grateful to everyone who supported her along the way in any capacity because now she can say with utmost conviction that she was never alone, and neither is any other survivor. In fact, she made it clear in the aforementioned series that if anyone is either going through or has been in similar situations, they shouldn’t give up because she is and will always be in their corner.
Coming to Maple’s personal standing, she is now happily settled in her hometown of Hong Kong, China, where she has taken up the art of painting to help her through her trauma. She still has bad days, but she keeps on putting one foot in front of the other because she knows there is light at the end of the tunnel – every day, her resilience shines through. As for her private life, we are happy to report that Maple is now married to her long-term boyfriend, Alex Fond, who is not only an Olympic swimmer, singer, and actor but also stood by her through her darkest times. He got down on one knee for her by the beach in Los Angeles, California, in February 2025, and they also tied the knot there in a small, cozy ceremony not long after.
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