Synnara Record Allegedly Still Has Connections To Murderous Cult Featured In “In The Name Of God: A Holy Betrayal”

The cult allegedly killed at least three members, including a child.

Netflix‘s latest docuseries, In The Name Of God: A Holy Betrayal, has horrified viewers with the terrible acts committed by Korean church cult leaders.

| Netflix

The series documents the stories of four leaders, including Jung Myung Seok and the Aga Dongsan church cult leader, Kim Ki Soon.  

Aga Dongsan leader Kim Ki Soon. | Netflix

The cult was founded in 1982 and was a religious community of collective farms and factories in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Kim Ki Soon placed herself as the head of the cult and referred to herself as a baby, which she claimed made her without sin.

The docuseries interviewed several involved with the cult, including the mother of Choi Nak Gwi, the seven-year-old child beaten to death after being tied up in a pig pin. The child’s aunt confessed to being involved in the beating that led to his death.

Nak Gwi, a victim of the Aga Dongsan cult. | Netflix

The investigation made international news when it was discovered that Synnara Record was owned and operated by the cult. Synnara Record was the largest distributor of albums in Korea at the time, partly due to its low prices, which many news sources alleged was because of cult members working for free.

The cult members worked for little to no pay on farms as well. 

Ultimately, a total of three murder charges were brought up against the cult’s leader but were dismissed after a lack of evidence was found, including Nak Gwi’s mother testifying that her son instead of died of a heart attack.

Nak Gwi’s mother admitted to lying about her son’s death during the docuseries. | Netflix

Kim Ki Soon did receive prison time for tax evasion, embezzlement, and exploitation and a ₩5.60 billion KRW (about $4.53 million USD) fine.

While this should have been the end of the Aga Dongsan, K-Pop fans have discovered that Kim Ki Soon is allegedly the chairman of Synnara Record, with several cult members holding higher-up positions in the company.

Aga Dongsan’s alleged former secretary, Shin Ok Hee, is listed as the CEO of Synnara Records on the album distributor’s website.

Since the debut of the docuseries, K-Pop fans have expressed shock at the actions of the cult that Synnara Records is still allegedly affiliated with.

 

Source: Billboard and KoreaJoongAngDaily

In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal

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