[Statements of victims and families
of forced conversion program-1]
“Rescued by the police while being suffered from
heavy pressure and assault ...
Still trauma"
[The unfamiliar word 'coercive conversion' has become an issue in our
society since pastor Jin Yong Sik confined Jeong Baek Hyang to a mental
hospital for the purpose of conversion in 2008. And he was sentenced in the
court. At that time, pastor Jin was in charge of heresy counseling for
Christian Council of Korea (CCK). Pastor Jin conducted coercive conversion
program to people who attend the so-called 'heresy' including religion of Jung.
After that, cases of coercive conversion began to become an issue. At the
beginning, pastors stepped in and conducted coercive conversion. However, now the
method has changed. First of all, coercive conversion pastors stimulate the
fear and anxiety of the targeted believers and its families by slandering targeted
denomination. And those families become to believe that their beloved children,
wives and parents will make extreme choices due to falling into heresy. To
prevent this, coercive conversion programs including illegal acts such as
kidnapping, confinement and violence become 'only solution' to save their
families. Due to those lies, coercive conversion is still occurring in Korea
where freedom of religion is recognized in the 21st century. This article
intends to serialize the tearful appeal of victims and families who have no
place to complain even if human rights are violated and oppressed by coercive
conversion program.]
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| Reference: gettyimages |
- 'The Living Hell' where victim experienced
- Parents who trusted 'Defamation' of coercive conversion pastors
- Forcing coercive conversion program cutting off economic support
- Forcing leave of absence causing poverty being thrown out of home
- Abrupt family committing kidnapping, confinement and violence
- padlock instead of keypad door lock
- When refusing participation due to personal attacks and slander
- "Let's live for months and years here."
- Conveying a note through a crack in mosquito net
- Being rescued by the mobilization of police
- "Parents who are brainwashed by coercive conversion pastors
- Conducting insult and abusive language"
Kim Sol Bi (26, female) became the victim of the 'heresy frame' and
'coercive conversion program' made by existing denomination. Forced measures
such as kidnapping and imprisonment were put in front of parents and when
refusing the program, oppression such as insult and abusive language was also
brought by family members. In an abrupt situation where the beloved family who
believed lies of coercive conversion pastors, Ms. Kim ended up with having
injure and trauma which cannot be washed all her life. The following story is
Kim's own experience.
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| Reference: gettyimages |
This is Kim Sol Bi from Busan.
After my family found out my faith of Shincheonji church, there was a
conflict because my parents didn't want me having the faith. Meanwhile, my
parents secretly met coercive conversion pastors for counseling and prepared
for coercive conversion program. And, they forced me to take coercive
conversion programs two times in last January and November. In the process, I
was forced to be locked in a studio and my cellphone was taken. So, I was
suffered from leave of absence and being kicked out of the house.
On 29th of November last year after work, I went on a trip with my family
to my grandmother's hometown for two days. On the way home, I fell asleep in
the car and found out my cellphone was gone when I woke up.
When I arrived at home in a parking lot, my brother and mother sat next to
me pretending to look for my cellphone in the car. After my father dropped my
sister-in-law off since she needed to go to prepare my brother's birthday, my
father drove us back to Hae Un Dae saying we need to go to brother's birthday
party.
The place where my father drove us was in Hae Un Dae Gu Jwa-dong was a
studio. My brother left me in the studio and my parents forced me to take
coercive conversion program. The studio was completely isolated from the
outside. Right after entering the studio, my parents closed the door and
removed door lock battery replacing with padlock which was installed
previously. After that, door lock batteries and padlock key were stored in a
password locked carrier. Eventually, the studio was unable to open the door
without the key and the window was only halfway open. And interphone was out of
operation. The parents used their phone when it was absolutely necessary and
hid their cellphone in a password-locked carrier.
In the studio, they prepared two large carriers, food and daily
necessities in advance. And there were office chairs that could lean back. My
parents told me that coercive conversion pastors requested comfortable chairs
for them to sit on.
My parents forced me to receive a coercive conversion program after
entering the studio. However, I rejected to receive the program which engages
human attacks, slander and conversion. My parents threatened me to never get
out of this studio until I received the program. My parents used swear words
saying "If you refuse, let's live months and years hear."
My parents kept pushing me until I gave up and said to participate in the
coercive conversion program myself. I said I'd rather go see the person since
this is not an unusual way. My parents refused my request making excuses. As
time went by, my parents became more and more irrational and I was
scared.
I've seen in January that my parents were becoming more evil as they
listened to coercive conversion pastors (named Hwang). And, I thought I would
never get out of this place if I didn't receive the coercive conversion
program. So I told my parents that I would listen under condition that I would
listen alone rather than listen with parents. Only then, my father contacted
the coercive conversion pastor to inform the condition.
After being locked in the studio, I tried to escape several times. When my
parents were sleeping or taking a shower, I peeked at the opportunity and tried
to unlock with a bobby pin, but I failed. One day, heating system in the studio
broke down and my parents called for a repair engineer. When the repair
engineer is about to leave after the repair is done, I ran and grabbed the arm
of the repairman and yelled "Please let me out of here. I'm locked.".
My father closed my mouth saying "Do you want to die?" and I was
overwhelmed. In that situation, my mother took the repairman out and asked him
not to speak at all.
In the process, the month is changed and I found out the address which is
written on the gas line on 8th of December. I wrote a SOS message with eyebrow
pencil on dried wipes and looked at the opportunity. When my father entered the
bathroom, I broke mosquito net and flew a message through the chink on the net.
However, there was no response.
So, the next morning, when my father was taking a shower, I wrote another
SOS message and flew it through the chink on the net again. After about 15
minutes passed, security guard of the building of the studio knocked on the
door and said hello. But my father told the guard over the door that everything
was fine.
My father smelled a rat and checked out the cellphone hidden in the
carrier. And he asked me to wear outer clothing and shoes when I was in
pajamas. Then he closed my mouth and took me to the basement parking lot using
the stairs.
My father hid in the space between parking lot and stairs and told my
mother to drive the car with assistant administrator. And while waiting for my
mother, my father said "I booked for three months and need to find out other
place." My father also threatened me saying "Even if I lose you, I'm
going to go out in protest and make you expelled from the church.
At that time, my father noticed someone was going down the stairs and came
out of the space between the parking lot and the stairs. And, he closed by
mouth suddenly and hid in the corner of the parking lot.
The police discovered us and I asked the police to separate me from my
father telling that I had been locked up in a studio and couldn't go to my job.
Finally, I was able to get help from the police and moved to the Hae Un Dae
Police Station. I talked about coercive conversion situation to the police
department of women & youth. The police took me to a temporary
shelter.
In fact, these things weren't planned by my parents. There are too many
people as well as me who suffer from coercive conversion (Presbyterian
brainwashing) in more vicious and coercive ways of the same pattern. Parents
are taking counsel from coercive conversion pastors and coercive conversion
pastors instructs the family to kidnap, imprison and force coercive conversion
for children to receive Presbyterian brainwashing. The thing is they pretend to
be holy saying that it is conversion education and heresy counseling. However,
the reason the coercive conversion pastors have not been punished so far is not
because there is no sin but because they made the family to shield so that they
can avoid legal punishment.
What is even worse is the Christian media is doing malicious broadcasts
distorting these issue as if it is done by Shincheonji. Because of this,
Shincheonji has been known as a crime group. There are too many people suffered
from the media and broadcasting which takes one side and report intentionally
and provocatively.
I was also forced to take a leave of absence from the school because
financial support was cut off by being kicked out of the house living with my
parents. The password of the front door was changed so that I was unable to
enter the house and there was other door lock. In this situation, my parents
and other parents (who fail to convert) are picketing and interviewing with
false information saying "Return our children who left home.". And
those are posting on articles and online.
Still, my mind is anxious and I am being suffered from fear of being
locked in a studio when I think about lock-up in the studio due to coercive
conversion. And, I become to have trauma having nightmare of being assaulted by
my parents.
Most of all, the parents who have been brainwashed by a coercive
conversion pastor abandoned the work as if they become other person and protest
every day in cold weather. My parents were saying swearing words rather than
warm words which was not heard before. Facing my parents who have changed so
much was more painful and heartbreaking.
I understand that from a parents' point of view, this was a choice to have
their children's mind back. However, I felt upset by the misconduct of coercive
conversion pastors who incite for my family members to commit a crime such as
kidnapping or imprisonment using the heart of beloved family.
Now, I sincerely hope that misconduct of coercive conversion pastors is
known to the world. People insult me without trying to find out both sides of
the situation objectively because they are Protestant pastors and I am a member
of Shincheonji.
Considering that there is freedom of religion in Korea and considering
that the pastors of Protestant who is directors of heresy counseling is labeled
'coercive conversion pastors', we need to think about their behavior at least
once.
I sincerely hope that the way of incitement to commit crime is revealed so
that their vicious coercive conversion business will be disappeared which
leaves unwashable wounds among families.
Reference : https://bit.ly/2M7b10P