Being confined and starved for over a week forcing to quit Shincheonji... Coercive conversion pastor is not forgivable

Being confined and starved for over a week forcing to quit Shincheonji... 

Coercive conversion pastor is not forgivable

A young man full of energy over the age of 20 was forcibly kidnapped and imprisoned by others and he was unable to receive food for over a week. This incident happened not by other people, but by the family.

How was this possible? This happened because the consciences of Shincheonji congregants who could not inflict harm to their loved ones even if they were unfairly hurt were exploited. In addition, the family's love for each other was also used.

Converting pastors deceive their families and make them do illegal acts including kidnapping and confinement by wrapping Shincheonji members who are defined as heresy and rejected by the word "conversion"

Im Min Suk (pseudonym, Nam, Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City) was also kidnapped and imprisoned for that reason without resistance. He said he was harassed by all sorts of abuse and couldn't even eat. He appealed that he could not forgive a coercive conversion pastor and officials. The following is the full text of Mr. Lim's appeal.

Before the incident happened on December 27, 2013, I was a college student who had a normal school life and family life like any other friends.

Although the family situation was not so good, and there were struggle in my father's business, I was living normal life relying on and trusting each other. There was father's vacancy due to busy business. But, my mother, my sister, and I were filling his vacancy, taking care of my younger brother.

On that day, my father, who was in another province for business came to Gwangju for year-end holiday after a long interval. It was the day when everyone gathered at home for dinner. Also, it is a day when an incident happened for me not to forget nor believe in my life.

After eating with my family, while drinking tea together, my aunt, who was living in Haenam, suddenly came to the house. It was unexpected visit. But, I  was glad to say hello because she was friendly and took good care of me and my family.

My aunt said that there was a heavy bag of rice in the car and she wanted me and my Dad to help with it. I thought I had to help out with my aunt. So I headed to my aunt's car with my dad without a doubt.

However, there were no bags of rice in the car, and my cousin was sitting there. At the moment I open the car door and look inside, my older cousin covered my mouth and neck pulling me into the car. My father, who was behind me, lifted my body and legs and threw me into the car.

I’m so scared and shouted "Help me". But they covered my mouth harder and the more I struggled, the tighter they held my neck and limbs.

My mother took my cell phone and she went through all the pockets of my clothes, saying there might be other cell phones. I kept shouting to let go of me. But, my parents kept repeating "This is all for you." and took me somewhere.

So, we arrived a place which was a studio.

When we got out of the car, they dragged me to the studio holding my arms firmly to prevent me from running away. They even threatened to stop rebelling. I screamed for help on the stairs to the studio. But they lifted me up and threw me onto the studio bed with my mouth completely covered. They grabbed my arm and twisted it so that it couldn't move saying there may be a tracking device in  my clothes. They ripped off my clothes and even checked inside of my underwear. It was so shameful, but there was no strength to escape.

When I asked the reason for doing this, they said that it was because I attend Shincheonji. They said I would be able to get out soon if I did what they told me to do.

That's how the confinement started not expecting how long it will last. They said that if I don't follow their order, it will last for months. The days I spent in the studio were terrible memories.

While being confined, all of my every move was monitored by my parents. The only space I could move around was small room and a bathroom. Even when I go to the bathroom, my parents didn't allow me close the bathroom door and watched me  right in front of me. When doing it, my parents kept talking to someone on a burner phone and receiving directions.

My parents, who really loved and cared for me, forced me to write a memorandum of giving up the protective custody request and to sign a coercive conversion program agreement. At that time, I faced an unimaginable threat. When I kept refusing, he cursed me that I had never heard of in my life.

On a week after the confinement began, he said he would not give meals until I signed the consent form for the conversion program saying "You are no less than an animal and not even an insect. I can feed animals, but insect has no worth to be fed."

I really didn't understand why he is doing what he does in Korea, where religious freedom is guaranteed, regarding religion issue. I lost my words when I saw my parents' aggressive manner for the first time in my life.

I knew that a conversion program was illegal associating even kidnapping and imprisoning a person. Even if my parents did feed me, I did not bend my will that I would not receive the conversion program. While seeing me like this, my parents made a few calls with someone. They forced me to receive a conversion program harming themselves saying "It was a wish for a lifetime."

I was so amazed and embarrassed to see my parents in this way. Because my parents were hurting, I said that I would meet someone who is doing a conversion program even though I didn't want to. Then my parents suddenly become happy about it making a call somewhere.

The next night, my parents introduced me to a middle-aged man who came to the studio and said he was a lawyer who worked professionally in this matter. But later it turned out that he was Mr. Park, who works with Mr. Im who was a conversion businessman.

As soon as Mr. Park came,  he started to groan at me and ordered me to sign a conversion program agreement saying he has seen a lot of people like me, so he knows how to deal with.

I was forced to meet him because I wasn't going to receive conversion program. I also didn’t like Park’s attitude toward people he’s never seen before. So, I just looked at Mr. Park without answering. Besides, it had been more than a week since my parents hadn't provide meals, so my body and mind were very tired. When I said nothing, Park said he is a busy man so if there is nothing to say, he counts five and leaves the room. My parents said that if I am willing to listen to the program, they would contact him again saying they were sorry.

The confinement continued even after Park left. I had no intention of listening to the conversion program which associates kidnapping and imprisonment avoiding the law. Also, my beloved parents became puppets of conversion businessmen an didn't listen to me. So the conversation couldn't take place. From then on, all I had in my mind was to run away from it if the opportunity came.

So, when my parents' surveillance was little loosen, I made a note asking help from the police to report it and threw it out of the bathroom window of the studio. Due to a report from a resident who found the note, I was able to come out of that studio in 16 days.

As a definite citizen of the Republic of Korea, a rule of law, I have the right to be guaranteed the freedom of the people. But the incident that I confronted tells us that it was not.

In Article 20, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution, it is clearly stated that ‘All citizens of Korea have freedom of religion.’ However, converting businessmen disregard these human rights and commit illegal activities by manipulating our parents to kidnap and imprison us. I knew these tings are happening secretly. It was unfair and resentful that there was nothing I can do since converting businessmen made my parents a shield to avoid the law.

For about two months after getting out of that incident, I suffered from a nightmare of being kidnapped again at night whenever I fell asleep. Because of the phobia of the surrounding environment, I was unable to go outside alone. Also, the harmony of our family has completely collapsed.

I am an obvious victim of the coercive conversion program. I know that converting businessman are scammers who use religion to fill their greed. That's why I can't forgive them any more for the way they control one's loved ones as shields to make money.

Converting businessmen who manipulate their parents to commit dirty illegal act are not being punished. So, there are victims of conversion programs like me and it will continue to happen thereafter. I sincerely ask you to abolish the illegal and inhuman conversion programs that are appearing in the Republic of Korea, where human rights must be guaranteed, so that they will no longer occur.

In addition, converting businessmen who have sprouted distrust in our family and destroyed happiness must disappear from Korean society. Even today, they are committing illegal acts that undermine the happiness of other families and violate human rights. I ask the government and judiciary of the Republic of Korea to protect the people so that victims like me do not occur again.

Reference: http://bit.ly/2LaXQ1W