Couple Visiting for Fortune Telling Faces 'Gaslighting'... Religious Figure Slaps Mother and Abuses Children

Using Intimacy to Deeply Involve in Property and Business
Abuse Including Beating Children Saying "They Must Be Disciplined"

A man in his 50s, a religious figure, was sentenced to prison for gaslighting a couple in their 30s who came for a fortune-telling session, deeply interfering in their family affairs, assaulting the couple, and even abusing their young child.

Gaslighting is a term derived from the 1938 play "Gas Light," referring to the act of subtly manipulating another person's psychology or situation to strengthen control over them. It often occurs in close or intimate relationships such as family, school, or romantic partners, typically involving asymmetrical power dynamics where one party seeks to control and oppress the other.

A (52), who runs a Buddhist temple in Wonju, Gangwon Province, first met the couple, C (39) and spouse, who came to his temple for fortune-telling in January 2017.

After becoming close with the couple, A, along with B (48, female), who co-manages the temple, deeply involved themselves in the couple’s assets, the restaurant they operated, and their child’s education, committing crimes in the process.

The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

In May 2018, A visited a restaurant in Wonju run by the couple and assaulted C by striking his thigh 15 times with a 1-meter-long wooden stick, causing injury, on the grounds that the restaurant was not being properly managed. B also struck C’s wife, D (30), more than 20 times on the face with her hand in the restaurant kitchen in May 2020, claiming that D did not listen to her.

Additionally, in the same year, when C’s 6-year-old child at the temple disobeyed their parents, A said, “Discipline is necessary,” and struck the child’s calves 10 times with a 50 cm-long cane. As a result, the child suffered severe pain that made walking difficult for several days.

On the 14th, Hwang Hae-cheol, presiding judge of the Criminal Division 3 at the Wonju Branch of Chuncheon District Court, announced that A, who was indicted without detention on charges of special assault, violation of the Child Welfare Act (child abuse), and assault, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation, while B was fined 3 million won.

The court explained, “The defendants committed these crimes by mentally dominating the victims, who suffered considerable psychological and physical shock and pain as a result. Considering that there is no prior record of similar offenses and that the defendants mostly acknowledged their wrongdoing, the sentence was determined.”

The prosecution, dissatisfied with the first trial verdict, appealed citing reasons such as the sentence being too lenient.