Prosecutors Indict and Detain 5 Including Leader of Pseudo-Religious Group 'Eunhagyo'

Leaders and key members of the pseudo-religious group 'Eunhagyo,' who were called the 'Heavenly Mother' and the 'Firstborn Son of God,' have been indicted while in custody.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 30th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Seung-hoon) announced that they have indicted five key members, including the co-leaders Na (63) and Bae (71) of the pseudo-religious group 'Eunhagyo,' on charges of fraud and violation of the Door-to-Door Sales Act.

They are accused of recruiting followers as sales agents for an unregistered multi-level marketing company from around 2016 until March of this year, and embezzling approximately 3.1 billion KRW from about 500 people under the pretext of agency registration fees and other charges.

Kim (deceased in 2021), Na, and Bae have impersonated themselves since around 2013 as the 'Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, and the Firstborn Son of God,' the existing Trinity and protagonists of all religions worldwide, conducting missionary activities mainly targeting the elderly and impoverished in Seoul, Incheon, and other areas. They deceived people by promising "eternal life and resurrection, and by making each follower a business owner through God's enterprise, they would become wealthier than conglomerates," recruiting about 1,800 followers.

Na, who had a prior conviction and prison sentence around 2011 for illegal multi-level marketing activities, involved accomplices from past illegal MLM crimes to carry out these offenses, and to expand the scale of the crime, established an illegal multi-level marketing corporation called 'Eunha Group' (tentative name) within 'Eunhagyo' around February 2018.

Na continued illegal multi-level marketing and fraud by promoting and selling products such as electric mats bearing the logo named after co-leader Kim, claiming that sleeping on them would ward off disasters and misfortune and even cure illnesses.

The prosecution has detained all five key members leading this religious group and seized the 'Eunhagyo' prayer center land and buildings located in Gyeongnam, which were purchased with criminal proceeds. A prosecution official stated, "We will continue to respond strictly to crimes infringing on the livelihood of ordinary citizens."