[Breaking] JMS Jeong Myeong-seok Sentenced to 23 Years for 'Sexual Assault of Female Followers'

Jung Myung-seok, the 78-year-old president of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), who was indicted on charges including sexual assault (quasi-rape) and forcible molestation of female followers, was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Jung was arrested and indicted on charges of molesting or sexually assaulting Maple (29), a Hong Kong national female follower, 23 times from February 2018 to September 2021 at the training center in Wolmyeong-dong, Jinsan-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungnam, and sexually molesting Amy (30), an Australian national female follower, as well as Korean female followers.

He was also accused of false allegations, claiming that foreign female followers falsely accused him of sexual crimes and filing countercharges with the police.

At the previous sentencing hearing, the prosecution requested a 30-year prison sentence for Jung, along with an order to complete 500 hours of sexual violence treatment programs, a 20-year electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) attachment order, and a 10-year employment restriction order for child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled.