Where Is Jung Myeong Seok? The Convicted Rapist At The Head Of The JMS Church Cult

The Netflix docuseries, In The Name Of God: A Holy Betrayal brought to light the actions of those involved with the JMS Church, specifically the crimes of its leader, Jung Myeong Seok.

Jung Myeong Seok founded JMS, or Providence Church, in 1974. In his teachings, he declared that he was the “Messiah” and brainwashed members into believing everything he said.

The cult leader used his power and position to lure tall and beautiful women into the cult to sexually assault them, which he often did under the guise of blessing or giving health checks. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Jung Myeong Seok created a cycle where women would lure more women into the church.

In 1999, Jung Myeong Seok fled from South Korea after an expose of his alleged crimes was published. He traveled continually and allegedly continued to assault women in China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan before being extradited to Korea to face his charges in 2008. 

He was convicted of four counts of rape by the Supreme Court of Korea and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. During this time, the church continued to profess his innocence and recruited more beautiful women to serve as spiritual wives. Upon his release in 2018, the cult welcomed Jung Myeong Seok as though the leader had never left.

He allegedly began assaulting women again, including Maple Yip, who exposed his crimes in the docuseries.

Following a press conference held by Yip, where she described his crimes, he was indicted in October 2022 for her alleged assault and the sexual abuse of an Australian follower.

It is believed that he is in prison awaiting his trial, while the JMS cult, now known also as Christian Gospel Mission, continues to support their leader, including on the church’s official “news” site.

The site advertising Jung Myeong Seok’s home, where he is alleged to have assaulted dozens of women, Wolmyeongdong, is still active, giving viewers information on visiting the location.

As recently as March 13, 2023, the official YouTube channel of JMS has shared sermons from Jung Myeong Seok, showing indirect support for their leader.

While Jung Myeong Seok is in prison, his second-in-command could be just as dangerous as him. You can read more about her below.

Who Is She? JMS Cult’s Second-In-Command Leader May Be Just As Dangerous As Jeong Myeong Seok