[Statements of victims and families of coercive conversion program - 1/2] “lie saying I ran away even though I couldn't enter the house because of the imprisonment due to coercive conversion”... Another wound

[Statements of victims and families of coercive conversion program - 1/2] “lie saying I ran away even though I couldn't enter the house because of the imprisonment due to coercive conversion”... Another wound

[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.]

• Coercive conversion program mobilizing gangster
• Being confined and strangled and the promises were broken
• Hoping there would no more regrettable victim
•  
• Only false claims of parents broadcasted in Christian media
• “Kids Run Away… taught by Shincheonji?”
• Betrayal to laying sins at others and slandering

He who was strong enough to major in physical education was not exceptional at coercive conversion program. 'More powerful measure' was mobilized. 6 hooligans were hired and showed cruelty strangle his neck when rebelling. He was forced to take coercive conversion program at the studio with 4 hooligans present. Pastor Kwon who was forcing him to take the program proceeded the procedure as if this is a natural consequence despite all the circumstances. Lee Seung Hwan (age 29) refused to take the program and was rescued by conveying a SOS note and declared independence from parents. However, his parents are protesting insisting Lee ran away because of religion. 2 episodes of article interviewed by Lee will be posted. 

My name ls Lee Seung Hwan, 29-year-old who is majoring in physical education Busan University of Foreign Studies and taking semester a semester off. 

The reason for me to write this article is 1) I would like let you know the damage caused by coercive conversion and 2) I realized that how serious the social problem of religious issues, especially "coercive conversion" is which includes nonsense as the period of program gets longer. I understand that there are many issues related to Shincheonji and the social perception is poor. However, there are things that I can say for sure after experiencing both sides which is Shincheonji church and other churches belong to existing denominations. 

Unlike existing churches, Shincheonji is the church practicing the faith only based on the Bible and there are many misconceptions and lies surrounding it. Therefore, I don't want you to make any shortsighted errors in reading my post with prejudice that Shincheonji is wrong without listening to and finding out about both sides. 

I like to make it clear that I wrote about the facts only which I had experienced without adding or exaggeration in this article. I also hope that this article would help a little to reveal the truth about coercive conversion program and I don't want any more victims like me ever again. 

Despite going through terrible coercive conversion program, I'd like to talk about my current situation as of March 14, 2020 which I am facing at this moment. In summary, there are two main categories. 

First, even though it was an inevitable independence (from my family) worrying about repeated coercive conversion, they fabricate the fact with insisting 'runaway'. And, I also like to speak to the media since Christian media falsified the text of between families. 

Next is a great wound and betrayal toward my family regarding continuous unilateral and emotional contact and action not only before but also after coercive conversion program. 

If I tell more detail it is as follow. After taken to the coercive conversion program, my parents insist of me running away. On the day I escaped from the place where I was confined for coercive conversion program, I expressed my honest feelings to my parents at Hae Un Dae District police station saying "Unlike the promise between us, you hired hooligans to process coercive conversion program. I am disappointed. I am afraid to go back to my house since I was strangled during the process. So, best way is we can stay in keeping in touch. I am going to live independently and I don't think I can get into the house for the time being.".

However, weeks later, the content of media and my parents reported were shocking. In the midst of a situation in which Shincheonji became known to the public through media due to corona19 crisis, I found out my parents holding a picket with the words 'Shincheonji James tribes, return my son Lee Seung Hwan' among parents who belong to so called victims group of Shincheonji which protest and sue against Shincheonji, 

And my mother sent me a text saying "Have you seen the news? Shincheonji made you run away. So, disaffiliate from Shincheonji and come back home otherwise, I can file a complaint against Shincheonji."

This situation does not make any sense to me since they fabricate the true fact that I couldn't go back home due to emotional shock caused by coercive conversion program with the false fact saying "Shincheonji is encouraging a runaway.'. Now, my wounds toward the groups conducting coercive conversion and my families goes deeper. 

Before and after coercive conversion, my family continues to provide countless slanders and false information and give me emotional and stubborn contacts. Especially in recent times, it seems that my mother and sister were deliberately trying to stimulate my emotions and elicit a reaction. They pressured me to spread revised contents to the media which is only captured parts of emotional reaction of mine and swearing words exchanged were erased. And they sent the content to my acquaintances of Shincheonji saying 'Your Shincheonji is the group insulting families because your church teaches such things.' overturning the truth.

I feel huge betrayal and anger at my family because of constantly recurring situations which have nothing to do with my will, nor to listen to my mind at all. The following is a chronological order of the cases of coercive conversion program that I had suffered while I was confined in the studio. As stated above, I like to mention that I have described what actually happened. 

My mother found out the content slandering Shincheonji church through Internet. And she decided to plan 9-month coercive conversion program with coercive conversion pastor in order to forcibly convert me who was attending Shincheonji. I knew how coercive conversion program works. So, during the coercive conversion program being processed, we agreed on an appointment to meet and process the program rather than forcibly process the program having me confined in a closed space. Also, at the meeting with Pastor Kwon who conducted the program, I definitely got the answer. 

In order to keep each other's promises, I made "Agreement note" and keep it. I wished the program being processed based on this. However, 9 months later, all of sudden coercive conversion program was attempted without my consent. 

(To be continued...)

Reference: https://bit.ly/2XQCF7U