SHINCHEONJI YDP CHURCH

[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.]

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.

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