'I Am God' Documentary Sparks JMS Controversy
Cases of Confusion with Same Initials in Names and Business Names
"Unrelated to Cult Religion" Explanation Causes Strain
Amid social controversy sparked by the Netflix documentary "I Am God: The People Betrayed by God," which deals with the story of Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), people with the English initials JMS are facing unfortunate misunderstandings.
A fitness company that added "JMS" to its business name because the owner’s name is "Jeon Min-sik" had to issue a separate notice due to rumors questioning whether it was a cult organization.
On the 13th, the company named JMS Fitness sent a notification text message to its members, stating, "There have been many inquiries regarding the JMS cult group and leader Jeong Myeong-seok, which have recently become an issue."
MS Fitness sent a notification text message to its members on the 13th, stating, "There have been many inquiries regarding the JMS cult group and its leader Jeong Myeong-seok, which have recently become a hot issue." [Image source=JMS Fitness Branch 27 Official Blog]
The gym clarified, "The initials JMS in JMS Fitness are the abbreviation of our CEO Jeon Min-sik’s name, and we are not related to the controversial cult religious group led by Jeong Myeong-seok or JMS," adding, "Please feel assured when using our facilities."
The same message was posted on the blogs of each branch, emphasizing that it is "a fitness center purely focused on health and exercise."
Netflix released "I Am God: The People Betrayed by God" on the 3rd. The documentary includes stories from victims related to JMS leader Jeong Myeong-seok, Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang, Kim Ki-soon of Agadongsan, and Lee Jae-rok of Manmin Central Church.
In particular, Jeong Myeong-seok, the JMS leader, sparked public outrage for various sexual crime allegations against his followers. Following this, locations of JMS churches nationwide and places suspected to be related to JMS, such as cafes and hospitals, were revealed online, causing a backlash.
The atmosphere of rooting out JMS followers has even spread to the entertainment industry, with idol group DKZ’s Kyung-yoon and actor Kang Ji-seop being named. Kyung-yoon explained that he was a lifelong believer, had visited Wolmyeong-dong following his mother, and had seen Jeong Myeong-seok but did not know it was JMS. Kang Ji-seop stated that he left the church about 4 to 5 years ago.
Meanwhile, JMS leader Jeong Myeong-seok was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2008 for sexual assault charges against followers. He was released in February 2018 but was re-arrested and indicted last October on charges of repeatedly molesting or sexually assaulting two foreign female followers (quasi-rape, etc.).
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