JMS leader gets 33 years as Hong Kong concerns persist
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A court in Daejeon, South Korea, on October 19 sentenced JMS leader Jung Myung-seok to 33 years in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting female followers, with judges describing his methods as especially vicious and enabled by religious control over a long period. The court also ordered him to wear an electronic tracking device for 15 years and barred him for 10 years from working at welfare institutions serving children, teenagers and people with disabilities. Former Hong Kong member Maple Yip, who accused Jung of sexual assault and appeared in the 2023 Netflix documentary In the Name of God, said on social media that more than 300 followers remain active in Hong Kong and continue evangelising. The case has renewed attention on the group’s long-running operations in Hong Kong, including its use of corporate entities, communal accommodation and school outreach.
Key Points
- The Daejeon District Court’s 11th Criminal Division ruled on October 19 that Jung sexually assaulted or molested 16 female members between 2018 and 2022.
- The judgment said Jung promoted himself as the “Messiah” to brainwash followers, and the court said severe punishment was necessary because of repeated abuse.
- Before this ruling, South Korea’s Supreme Court in January 2025 upheld Jung’s conviction for assaulting one Hong Kong victim, one Australian and one South Korean follower, with a 17-year sentence.
- If the latest 33-year term stands, Jung would face a combined 50 years in prison; he is now 81 and had previously completed a 10-year sentence in February 2018.
- HK01 reported the group had operated in Hong Kong since the 1990s, bought a Kwai Chung industrial unit for more than HK$16.4 million in 2018, and used it as a base.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the immediate concern is not only the South Korean conviction but the claim that hundreds of followers remain active locally and are still recruiting. The reporting also points to how the group maintained a Hong Kong footprint through company structures, regular gatherings and outreach over many years, raising questions about oversight and protection for potential victims.