"You Looked at Me Beautifully"… JMS Second-in-Command Also Sentenced to 7 Years in Appeal Trial

Three Executives Who Aided Jeong's Crime Also Sentenced to Prison, Original Verdict Upheld
Two Attendants Acquitted

Kim Ji-sun (46), the 'second-in-command' of JMS, who was indicted for participating in or assisting Jeong Myeong-seok JMS (Christian Gospel Mission) president's sexual assault crimes, was sentenced to a heavy prison term again in the appellate court. The original sentences for three other executives who were convicted of assisting Jeong's crimes were also upheld.

According to Yonhap News on the 12th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Daejeon High Court (Chief Judge Park Jin-hwan) sentenced Kim to seven years in prison in the appellate trial on charges of quasi-rape, the same as the original sentence.

The court stated, "Kim Ji-sun brainwashed the followers to prevent them from escaping and sympathized with Jeong Myeong-seok's sexual crimes by telling a victim who revealed the sexual assault, 'He did that because he liked you,'" and added, "Considering that Jeong Myeong-seok was imprisoned and Kim enjoyed the position of second-in-command while brainwashing the followers to regard Jeong as the 'Messiah,' functional control over actions is recognized."

Kim, known by the alias 'Jeong Joeun,' is known as Jeong Myeong-seok's 'successor.' She was arrested and indicted for participating in Jeong's quasi-rape crime by handing pajamas to a 30-year-old female follower of Hong Kong nationality in March-April 2018 and instructing her to "sleep here while guarding the Lord."

The court also upheld the original rulings for three other executives who were sentenced to prison for assisting Jeong's sexual crimes.

Regarding Kim (52), the director of civil affairs, who was indicted for aiding quasi-rape, the court sentenced him to three years in prison, the same as the original sentence, stating, "He chased and arrested followers who tried to escape at the airport and sent photos of followers with exposed bodies while Jeong Myeong-seok was imprisoned." For two other executives indicted for assisting forced molestation by interpreting during the sexual crimes or guarding outside the room, the court maintained suspended sentences ranging from six months to one year and six months.

However, two individuals who worked as Jeong's personal secretaries were acquitted and released after the court overturned the first trial's ruling, stating, "It is difficult to consider that they knew of or assisted the crimes simply because they were waiting as attendants."

Earlier, at the sentencing hearing held on the 6th of last month, the prosecution demanded 15 years in prison for Kim Ji-sun and 10 years for civil affairs director Kim, stating, "This case is a cartel crime where the defendants continuously supplied women to Jeong Myeong-seok to gain favor."

Jeong Myeong-seok was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison for molesting or sexually assaulting four female followers in their 20s at a Malaysian resort, a Hong Kong apartment, and a Chinese lodging from August 2001 to April 2006. He was released in February 2018 after serving his sentence. About a month after his release, from February 2018 to September 2021, he was indicted for sexually assaulting or molesting a Hong Kong national female follower 23 times at a training center in Geumsan-gun, Chungnam Province, and for sexually molesting Australian and Korean female followers. In December last year, the court sentenced him to 23 years in prison in the first trial, and the case is currently under appeal after Jeong's side filed an appeal.