Resignation After Just 3 Days... Reason Unknown
Six Lawyers from Law Firm Gwangjang Also Resigned in March
The lawyer representing Jeong Myeong-seok (78), the president of the Christian Gospel Mission (commonly known as JMS), who is accused of sexually assaulting female followers, has resigned again.
According to a Yonhap News report on the 12th, Kim, a lawyer for Jeong, submitted a notice of withdrawal to the Daejeon District Court's 12th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Na Sang-hoon), which is handling the case. The reason for Kim's resignation has not been disclosed.
Kim, who was appointed on the 9th, suddenly withdrew despite having applied to the court for viewing and copying the victim's voice recording file for verification. Another lawyer for Jeong, Mr. A, told Yonhap News, "I heard that Kim is quitting, but I don't know the reason well." When asked if it was due to pressure from public opinion, he said, "It is possible that there was no consensus within the legal team regarding the appointment."
Christian Gospel Mission (commonly known as JMS) President Jeong Myeong-seok held an event on February 18, 2019, marking one year since his release from prison, commemorating it as a "resurrection," and took a commemorative photo. [Image source=Yonhap News]
At one point, Jeong's legal team numbered as many as 14, but after six lawyers from the law firm Kwangjang resigned en masse in March, and with successive resignations, only seven remain, including lawyer Yang Seung-nam, a former JMS pastor. At the time of their resignation, Kwangjang did not disclose specific reasons, but some interpreted it as feeling burdened by the growing social outrage against Jeong following the release of the Netflix documentary "I am a God: People Betrayed by God."
Jeong was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2009 for repeatedly sexually assaulting female followers, and after serving his full term and being released, he committed sexual crimes against foreign female followers as well.
Jeong is currently on trial for charges including quasi-rape, accused of molesting or sexually assaulting a Hong Kong national female follower, A (29), 17 times from February 2018 to September 2021 at the training center in Wolmyeong-dong, Jinsan-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungnam, and of sexually molesting an Australian national B (30) five times at the Geumsan training center from July to the end of 2018. So far, six women have filed complaints against Jeong for sexual assault or molestation, and it is known that more victims are preparing legal action.
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