[Shincheonji] Interview with victims of forced conversion in Busan… Forcing imprisonment, conversion by luring with the lie 'My grandfather is sick'

Interview with victims of forced conversion in Busan…

Forcing imprisonment, conversion

by luring with the lie 'My grandfather is sick'

"I asked what I did wrong. Why the hell are you doing? He said he just wanted to check it. It was frustrating and heartbreaking."

Only for attending Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of The Tabernacle(Shincheonji church of Jesus), Sun Young-min (pseudonym, 27, Male) who was rescued after being imprisoned by his parents for 19 days met with Daily Cheonji on 16th and said this. 

Earlier on the 11th, Mr. Sun was rescued by police and 911 rescue workers at an office tel in Suyeong-gu, Busan. The police who came to the scene heard Sun's urgent cry, "Save me." and rescued him by forcibly opening the door of the Office Tel. 

He hasn't been able to go back home since. This is because his parents were the ones who imprisoned him. After being rescued, he was traumatized by his parents who imprisoned him applying for a restraining order. It's out of fear of being imprisoned again. On the spot, three people including Sun's parents and heresy counselor were taken to the police station. It is reported that they are investigating whether they are guilty of imprisonment or not.

"It was Thursday, May 24 at 11 p.m. As soon as I opened the door to get home, My parents came out and said 'Your grandfather is in critical condition. Let's go to the hospital.' So we got in my uncle's car which was parked in the basement of the apartment. My uncle was driving and my other uncle was there too. Until then, I thought we were all going together because my grandfather was sick. But, suddenly, my father said 'I know you are attending Shincheonji.' So, I had a gut feeling 'Ah, I'm being taken to a coercive conversion program.'"

When his family, who had a good relationship, changed suddenly, Mr. Sun was very perplexed. He said "I explained about the misunderstanding situation when attending Shincheonji church. I'm going to fix anything if I did something wrong. So, please stop doing this. But, it didn't work at all."

As for the place of the conversion program, he testified that it was like a prison. There was a lock on the door. So he couldn't go out without a key. The window was tapped. So, he couldn't open it. About this, Mr. Sun said "I think they were afraid if I called for help through the window. So, they blocked it." And mobile phone and other measures of communication were also impounded. 

He repeatedly said "I really don't want to receive a coercive conversion program. This is not the right way." But it didn't work. The parents forced Mr. Sun to receive a coercive conversion program. The pressure grew stronger and stronger and he finally agreed to receive a coercive conversion program. Then, as if it was prearranged, Mr B, a heretic counselor from a famous Protestant group in Busan, came and held out a piece of paper. It was a consent form for a coercive conversion.

He said, "There was a content if there is even one thing wrong about Shincheonji, you have to leave. It bothered me a lot because it felt like it was intended for me to give up practicing faith in Shincheonji no matter what. So, I was unpleasant."  

A coercive conversion program that they suggested to pick out 100% truth eventually led to hatred and degradation of Shincheonji Church. There were even personal attacks on the head of Shincheonji church. The teaching of Jesus 'love even our enemies' were nowhere found. It was the parts that bothered Mr. Sun the most. 

On June 11, while receiving a coercive conversion program, when he heard the noise outside, he shouted 'Help me." The heresy counselor and Sun's parents desperately blocked his escape with extreme words saying "kill me to pass by. Do you want to see us kill ourselves? Leave after completing conversion." Meanwhile, the police broke in. Mr. Sun informed the police that he had been kidnapped and detained. He requested separation from his family. Finally, he was released from confinement in 19 days. 

He said "Under various circumstances, the reason why my parents did a coercive conversion is an involvement of a coercive conversion pastor behind." He also stressed that a coercive conversion is not acceptable for any reason.

He said "Korea is a country with freedom of religion. You have the right to choose a religion according to your conscience. It is an illegal program. But it is done in the name of love. It makes me angry. A coercive conversion program suppresses individual freedom of religion and forces one's religion. It really needs to disappear now."

A coercive conversion program which is carried out for those like Mr. Sun who have expressed their intention not to convert is being held for many years. The concept that everything else besides existing denominations and pastors are heresy and pseudo is ingrained in society. So in fact, freedom of religion has been long lost in our society. 

A coercive conversion program is ongoing. According to the Human Rights Association for Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs(KangPiYeon), as of October 2019, a total of 1,725 victims were affected by a coercive conversion program. Until 2012, victims were under 100 per year. But, in 2013, there were 151 victims. Since then, the number has steadily exceeded 100. 

The problem is that criminal acts caused by a coercive conversion program are rampant and the damage is serious. When looking at the pattern, it involves two deaths, 946 kidnappings, 1,131 confinements,  579 assaults, 100 dosing sleeping pills, 99 forced drop out, 101 forced leave of absence and 32 forced divorce. 

An event that shows the horrors of a coercive conversion is that a female college student was suffocated to death by her parents in Hwasun while refusing a coercive conversion in 2017. Before that, a husband killed his wife for refusing to be converted which shocked society. 

According to a survey of about 900 subjects of a coercive conversion, 55% of victims complained of intimidation and brainwashing at the time of a coercive conversion program and 52% of them were confined. 

There were even 2%(10) of victims who were forced into mental hospitals for refusing to be converted. In the case of female victims, when using the bathroom, outsiders or family had to accompany and felt 'humiliation(171, 34.5%), helplessness or depression(152, 31%),  suicidal thoughts(50, 10.1%)’. 

Contrary to the fact that a coercive conversion program has not received attention in Korea due to reasons such as 'family matters and religious issues', the world has begun to speak out about the illegality paying attention to the state of a coercive conversion program.  

In particular, in July 2019, at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, a statement 'Eradication of a coercive conversion' was issued. In the same month, at the 'Ministerial Conference on the Promotion of Freedom of Religion', which was held at the State Department building in Washington, D.C., a case was presented to officially criticize a coercive conversion program being committed in Korea.

At the conference attended by governments from about 100 countries and 500 NGOs and religious organizations, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sam Brownback, Ambassador for International Religious Freedom attended. During the conference schedule, at the program of International Religious Freedom Roundtables, cases of human rights violations by a coercive conversion happening to believers of emerging religion in Korea have been presented.

Participants at the meeting strongly criticized the Korean government about the situation in which the police and the courts are looking on despite the fact that the so-called heretical counseling pastors in Korea conspired to kidnap using the family of members of emerging religion and tried to force a coercive conversion through imprisonment and assault.

And in this place, 15 major international NGOs urged countermeasures of Korean government for eradication of coercive conversion saying 'Korea is the only country accepting a coercive conversion program'. However, still, our government is keeping silent on the issue of a coercive conversion program. And in this place, 15 major international NGOs urged countermeasures of Korean government for eradication of coercive conversion saying 'Korea is the only country accepting a coercive conversion program'. However, still, our government is keeping silent on the issue of a coercive conversion program. 

Reference: https://bit.ly/3drTsXE